


Glory

by thedreamerswin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, F/M, Pregnancy, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-09-28 22:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 23,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17191229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedreamerswin/pseuds/thedreamerswin
Summary: A slight AU of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but focused on Ginny. What happened while Harry went off to destroy horcruxes and Ginny went to Hogwarts. What if Ginny had a secret that could put her in danger while she's at Hogwarts? Will Harry ever find out?





	1. Tough

_“I never really gave up on you,”_ Ginny’s words rang through Harry’s mind as the Hogwarts Express rolled its way through the Scottish countryside towards London. Despite the fact Harry knew he wouldn’t return to Hogwarts in September, his focus remained elsewhere. 

Ending things with Ginny offered her the only form of protection Harry could give her while looking for horcruxes. Staying in a relationship with her, even in secret meant that whenever death eaters came looking for him if they found Ginny they would hurt her. Even though Harry knew deep down that if Voldemort himself found Ginny there wouldn’t be any hesitation to use her against him, relationship status irrelevant, he thought staying broken up could protect her from the death eaters.

“I was thinking,” Hermione begins forcing Harry to snap his attention back to the train car. “Harry you’ve got the trace on you until your birthday, and since we all promised Bill and Fleur we’d do everything to attend their wedding that we should plan on leaving the morning after the wedding.” Bill and Fleur had decided to get married despite everything happening around them. The wedding would take place the day after Harry’s 17th birthday. 

Harry made a noise to protest, but Ron cut him off. “We’re going, mate. End of story.” Ron’s tone left little room for disagreement. What Ron didn’t mention was the conversation he’d had with his only sister after her breakup with Harry, where he promised he wouldn’t let Harry run off alone. “I know you think it’s all noble, going off alone, but they’ll come after us either way.” 

Noticing the confusion cross Harry’s face, Ron continues. “It’s no secret we’re your best friends. Merlin knows what Malfoy’s told ‘em. Hermione can’t come back because she’s muggleborn, and I’m not about to let the two of you do this alone.” While Harry had gone off with Ginny, Ron and Hermione had agreed to stick with Harry next year. “We’re of age and we’ve been with you since the stone, so you don’t get to be stupidly noble with us.” 

The language slip doesn’t come by accident. Ron knows perfectly well Ginny called Harry stupidly noble yesterday. Holding his eyes to Harry’s, Ron all but dares his best friend to challenge him. “Not to mention Hermione’s saved our asses too bloody often to leave you out there alone.” A chuckle breaks out amongst the boys, thinking of all the times Hermione pointed them in the right direction. 

“As I was saying,” Hermione interjects. “I think the morning after the wedding, I’m going to spend some time devising a list of everything we could possibly need and I’ve been doing some research into charms to hide us.” The trio spends the rest of the ride back to King’s Cross plotting out what they think they’ll need. With Voldemort still out there, and both Harry and Hermione heading to live with Muggles they won’t discuss this again until they reunite in July. 

Getting off the train in London, the trio hugs tightly one more time. In theory, they should see each other in just a few short weeks, but Harry knows now to never take anything for granted, especially after Dumbledore’s recent death. 

Looking around, Harry knows not to expect his aunt or uncle to be waiting for him, and he knows not to expect the Order to let him just find his way back to Surrey. Which is why Remus Lupin’s presence doesn’t surprise him in the slightest. 

Ron, Hermione, and Harry hug once more before they begin trickling off towards their families. Taking his time towards Lupin, Harry watches as Ginny and Ron walk towards their parents. Harry and Ginny make eye contact briefly, before the Weasley family disappears. 

“Ready to go?” Lupin asks once Harry reaches him. Nodding, Harry closes his eyes as Lupin apparates them to Privet Drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry this story is still going to focus on Ginny. We just have to set the stage a little. Review and let me know what you thought!


	2. Hold On, We're Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much less of a setup chapter like the last one.

Ginny sat in the Burrow waiting with her mother for everyone to return. Earlier in the evening Mad-Eye broke Harry’s trace and taking him away from the Dursley’s would have broken the blood protection that kept Harry hidden.

Despite breaking up on their last day at Hogwarts, Ginny still sat here worrying about Harry. Mentally, she understood why he ended things, but Ginny knew she wouldn’t move on this year. To her, Voldemort wanted her family for their ties to Harry, and she had little reason to believe their relationship status would make the difference. 

“Ginny dear would you like a cup of tea?” Molly offered. With the rest of her children out in the thick of the war (or in Romania), Molly’s anxious energy focused on Ginny. In the hour they’ve waited for someone to return Molly already repacked the medical kit, cleaned up the dishes from dinner, and offered Ginny tea at least four times. 

Shaking her head, Ginny turns down the tea. All this waiting made her nauseated and the thought of putting anything in her stomach made her want to hurl. “Not right now Mum,” Ginny says trying to ignore the smell of the tea. 

Before Molly can argue or bring her daughter the tea anyways, the first sound of a portkey breaks the silence. Looking through the window Ginny spots Harry walking up the path. Without thinking, Ginny jumps up and runs out into the yard. Almost on reflex, Harry runs towards her, stopping only to catch Ginny in his arms. 

Harry lets out a small wince as her body hits him, but for the moment doesn’t care. Every single day since leaving Hogwarts he’s missed her. Ginny doesn’t miss the sound of pain. Taking a step back she looks on concerned. “Where are you hurt?” She asks looking for obvious injuries. 

“I’m okay,” Harry starts. “I got hit some, but Ted Tonks fixed everything. I’m just sore.” The remaining bruises would fade by the morning, and right now he wanted to enjoy the moment with Ginny before they both remembered they broke up. 

Cutting the moment short, Remus comes in with a bleeding George Weasley. “Quickly, help me get him inside!” Lupin yells and Harry slips an arm under George’s other shoulder. Ginny feels her nausea from earlier return at the sight of so much blood pouring from her brother’s head. Pushing down the nausea she runs around the two and pulls the door open to the Burrow. 

Quickly, Lupin explains George’s been hit in the ear with a curse. Once he’s done explaining, Lupin grabs Harry by the shirt collar and shoves him against the wall. Out of the shock Ginny nearly reaches for her wand, half-convinced Lupin’s lost it as he yells questions about a grindylow. 

“We were betrayed,” Remus explains the heartbreak clear in his voice. “Someone slipped that we were moving Harry tonight. Mad-Eye is dead.” Dropping onto a chair, Lupin looks up at the duo as Molly tends to George’s wounds.  
Two by two the pairs begin arriving back to the burrow. Ginny slips quietly from Harry’s side and into the mix of her siblings. Realizing that if she’s to truly be broken up with Harry she needs to stay further away from him, earlier had proved just how easily she could slip into old habits. Once everyone’s back and George has begun making jokes, Molly shoos everyone to their respective beds. 

Taking the reprieve, Ginny quietly heads up to bed first. Fully expecting Hermione to follow in a matter of moments. Wanting to avoid being bombarded with questions, Ginny quickly changes for bed and tries to fall asleep. 

The next few days pass quickly, Ginny repeatedly offers to help with wedding preparations to avoid ending up with Harry alone. Part of her wonders if she should throw caution to the wind and spend a few more hours with Harry before he disappears for months on end. After the wedding, Ginny genuinely doesn’t know if or when she’ll ever see him again, a thought which genuinely pains her. It’s possible these are the last days she will know Harry Potter, but she can’t bring herself to be alone with him. 

On the morning of his seventeenth birthday Ginny’s resolve to avoid Harry breaks. Trying to calm herself, she takes a breath and opens the door. “Harry, will you come in here a moment?” She calls out into the hallway. 

It should be easy to steal a moment with Harry, she’s known him since she was ten, they dated, slept together even, and for some reason, she can barely control her nerves around him. “Happy seventeenth,” she says softly.

“Yeah thanks,” Harry replies, and Ginny recognizes he must feel just as awkward as she does. 

Taking his response in stride Ginny begins to ramble. “I couldn’t think of what to get you,” she starts. Harry protests but they both know it’s a feeble attempt at best. “I didn’t know what would be useful. Nothing too big because you wouldn’t be able to take it with you.” Ginny explains and moves closer to him. 

“So then I thought, I’d like you to have something to remember me by, you know if you meet some veela when you’re off doing whatever you’re doing.”

With a chuckle, Harry brushes off the idea of dating anyone else while he’s on the run. “I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.” His words ring through like a promise that he’s not going to find someone to replace her. Little does he know she’s made the same promise, even if they haven’t spoken about it out loud.

“There’s the silver lining I’ve been looking for,” she whispers having completely closed the distance between them. Pressing her lips to his, the world seems to stop for a moment while they kiss. Once Ron barges in the two jump apart, Ginny mumbles something about a happy birthday and Harry leaves with Ron. With less than thin walls in the burrow, Ginny can hear the lecture Ron launches into. Rolling her eyes, Ginny sets off to find a distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I know, we're still not there yet, but we're much closer. 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought! Or if you have an idea what is going to end up being Ginny's secret.


	3. Nothing's Right

The wedding passes by almost uneventfully. Knowing the trio plans to leave in the morning, Ginny decides that once the guests have left she’s going to talk to Harry again. She doesn’t want their last conversation to have been the one Ron interrupted. Death eaters be damned, Ginny wants to let Harry know how she feels and that she’s not going to change her mind. 

Everything seems to happen in the blink of an eye, one second, she’s debating how to tell Harry she doesn’t want to leave things how they are, the next Kingsley’s patronus announces the ministry has fallen and death eaters descend on the wedding. As she duels she spots Harry and Hermione searching for Ron. Before Ginny can fend off her attacker or reach the trio, they’ve disapparated.

With the attack everyone except the Weasleys and a handful of Order members left. Just when Ginny thinks she’s defended herself against the death eater focused on her, one comes from the side towards her. Before Ginny can launch any sort of defense _“Incarcerous”_ comes from the death eater’s wand. 

As the ropes bind her Ginny falls to the ground. Slamming onto the dance floor she watches family members try to fight their way towards her. One of the death eaters pulls Ginny up, points their wand at her head and yells “Stop or the girl gets it.” 

Wands drop around her as the same voice speaks again. “It’s time to answer some questions, and I think we’ll start here with the girl Weasley.” Ginny can feel the ropes digging into her skin and tries her best to stay silent. 

Making eye contact with five of her brothers she mentally pleads for them to cooperate just enough to satisfy the death eaters and make them leave. “What do you want?” Ginny asks trying to keep her voice under control.

“Just to know where Harry Potter is, we figure of everyone here you’ve got to know where he’s at.” The death eater sneers and for the first time Ginny’s grateful he ended things and didn’t give her information on where he’s headed. They can’t torture information out of her that she doesn’t know, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. 

Shaking her head, Ginny answers. “I don’t know. Really I have no idea.” 

The death eater holding her captive doesn’t like that answer and shoots a stinging hex at her shoulder. Crying out, Ginny feels her eyes fill with tears. “Now, now, girly, we know you’re his girlfriend. So, I’ll give you to the count of ten to give me a proper answer. Wouldn’t want to have to use any unforgivable on you in front of your family.” He says tightening the ropes against her body. 

“Really I don’t know. He dumped me. Didn’t want to be tied down.” She explains. It’s not the full truth, but it’s true enough that Ginny knows she can sell it. Before the death eater can ask another question, one of the others shouts someone’s tripped a taboo in London. 

“Well, it seems that you’re lucky this time.” The death eater spits before throwing Ginny onto the ground. It takes barely any time for the death eaters to disapparate and her family to rush towards her. 

Weasleys fire questions at Ginny as they pull the ropes off her to reveal rope lines and scrapes across her body. A bright red welt sits on her shoulder from where the hex landed. “Move,” Ginny whispers commandingly as she stands up and pushes around her family. Reaching the end of the dance floor she leans over and vomits onto the grass. 

Fred and George are the first to move towards her. “What do you think George? Should we take some puking pastilles and turn this into a family affair?” Fred jokes with a new unsteadiness in voice. 

“I don’t know Fred might make a pretty big mess.” George jokes back trying to soothe their little sister. “What do you need Gin?” George asked quietly as Ginny doesn’t laugh at their joke. 

Letting out a breath, Ginny tries to see if her stomach has settled before letting them help her. “Can you get me inside please?” She requests quietly. “I don’t think I can make it back to the house and I don’t want everyone to swarm me.” 

Sharing a quick look Fred lifts Ginny up as George moves back towards the larger family. For once Ginny doesn’t protest as someone lifts her up. Behind them, she vaguely hears George explaining to everyone to wait a minute then head inside. In true Molly Weasley fashion, she doesn’t listen and takes off after her children. Catching up with Fred as they reach the door to the Burrow, Molly instructs to set Ginny down on the couch. 

“Mum please, can I just go to bed?” Ginny asks as her mother takes a seat next to her. Her body aches and right now Ginny wants nothing more than to head upstairs and fall asleep. 

Molly shakes her head. “Not until I’m certain you’re okay.” Watching the death eaters hold and torture her only daughter had been one of the worst moments of Molly’s life. For several minutes Molly stands above her daughter, casting healing spells. 

As her body mends, Ginny nearly falls asleep on the couch, her nausea the only thing keeping her awake. Retching once into the bucket placed by her head, Ginny tries to settle herself. “Dear did they hit your stomach with something I missed?” Molly had only seen the death eaters cast two spells on Ginny, neither should have caused this much vomit. 

Shaking her head, no, Ginny elaborates briefly. “No, I’ve felt like this on and off for a few days. I figured I was coming down with something.” With all of the wedding festivities, Ginny assumed she had some sort of cold. 

Running her hands over Ginny’s face, Molly frowns when she feels no temperature. The mother of seven racks her brain for a moment before she pales, “Ginevra Weasley are you pregnant?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I'm a big fan of the twins being more than protective of Ginny. 
> 
> And what's the answer to Molly's question???
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	4. Leave A Light On

The moment Molly asks the question Ginny sits straight up. Trying to think of the date of her last period, she realizes she genuinely has no idea. During the last quarter her and Harry slipped away from their dorms a few times to be together, and now Ginny can’t think clearly. She knows the last time they slept together, and that she’s missed at least one period. 

Running her hand through her messy red locks Ginny looks up at her mother. “I don’t know, it’s possible,” Ginny admits, the implication of her words sinking into her mind. Before Molly can say anything else, the rest of the Weasley family comes into the house. 

“Bill and Fleur just went home, they’ll come back tomorrow, and I sent Ron a patronus telling him we’re okay. Remus just left as well, he’s going to try and find Harry if he can without drawing attention to anyone.” Arthur says as he enters the Burrow. “How are you feeling Ginny?” He asks running a hand through his daughter’s hair. The twins and Charlie lurk further back, Fred having missed the last question Molly asked while in the kitchen. 

Unable to focus, Ginny stands up. “I’m fine if you’ll excuse me.” She fumbles through an excuse before heading up the stairs and shutting the door to her room. 

Confused by her exit, Arthur’s eyebrows rise. “Did I say something?” He’s perplexed at Ginny’s hasty exit. 

Shaking her head, Molly gives her remaining sons a look to make themselves scarce. “Come on little brothers lets head upstairs,” Charlie says shoving the twins up towards their bedroom. Unsure of what’s happened since Fred brought Ginny into the house, Charlie Weasley knows their parents need a moment alone. 

Not wanting to betray her daughter’s trust, Molly debates telling Arthur she’s fairly certain they can expect a grandchild in a few months. “Your youngest daughter may have gotten herself into a bit of trouble.” Molly pauses for a second, checking to see if any of her children had taken to listening on the stairs where they thought she couldn’t see them. “I know you’re in contact with Percy, and that you both and Remus have been trying to figure out how Mad-Eye had Harry’s trace broken so you can do the same for Ginny. The sooner that happens the better.” 

Molly knew that her husband spoke to their supposedly estranged son at work, and she knew Percy isolated himself from their family to work on protecting them from inside the ministry. “Molly, what’s going on?” Arthur asks his eyes darting up the stairs towards Ginny’s room. 

With a shallow breath, Molly looks at her husband. “If I’m correct, we’re going to grandparents soon, and not from any of our sons.” Molly wanted to give Ginny time to figure it out on her own and to really process what might happen, but with the ministry having fallen this evening, the family needed to be ready. 

Staying silent for a moment, Arthur processes. “I’ll make sure we can have the trace broken by Christmas.” He promises, a firmness in his voice rarely used. “Does Harry know?” With the bounty on Harry’s head, even if the order did everything right and Harry pulled off whatever Dumbledore had tried to get him to do, he still might not survive the year. 

Sitting down next to Arthur, Molly takes his hand in hers. “I don’t think it had even occurred to Ginny until twenty minutes ago.” She’d seen the look on Ginny’s face as she processed, to Molly that didn’t seem like someone who suspected even the slightest. “She’ll be okay. We’ll get them through this.” Molly promises, tightening her grip on Arthur. 

Upstairs, Ginny sat in her room. From the moment her mother had mentioned it, everything suddenly made sense. The nausea coming and going over the past few weeks, her exhaustion, and she’d be lying if she didn’t feel physically softer than she had in June. Opening her _Wizard Care and Maladies_ textbook, Ginny looked just for the spell she’d seen before. Reading through the incantation, she practices the motions a few times before casting the spell. It seemed simple enough, if she was pregnant a white light would come from her abdomen for a moment before fading, if not a deep purple light would emit. 

Briefly Ginny wishes Harry hadn’t left yet. When she’d allowed herself to think of a life that included Harry, not for one moment did she think she would stand in her bedroom before her sixth year to figure out if she was pregnant while completely alone. Casting the spell, Ginny watches as the white light appeared for a few seconds before fading. Tears leak from her eyes and she quickly wipes them away. 

Ginny Weasley was going to be a mother. 

Taking a moment, Ginny knows what she needs to do to protect her unborn child. With Harry on the run, she can’t tell him, and she can’t let the secret get out. Somehow there’s now an unknown bounty on her head. She couldn’t run, not before the trace broke from her, and not with Hogwarts attendance mandatory for all students this year. 

Opening the door to her room she heads downstairs where she spots her parents sitting on the couch. Their heads snap up to stare at her. “We need to break my trace,” Ginny states with a strength in her voice that surprises her. “I’m pregnant, and I’m going to need to disappear from Hogwarts during the year.” If Voldemort found out, Ginny knew he would try to kill her. 

Molly gets up from the couch first and wraps her arms around Ginny. “My brave girl, we’re going to do everything we can to help you stay safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well, it seems like our favorite couple is going to be parents!
> 
> Drop a review and let me know what you thought!


	5. Don't You Cry For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter before Ginny goes to Hogwarts. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ginny wakes up the next morning as her stomach flips. All but stumbling towards the bathroom, she barely makes it before she’s throwing up into the toilet. Silently she wishes for Harry, before quickly banishing the thought from her head. “Might as well stop wishing for him now.” She mumbles to herself. 

Exiting the bathroom, Ginny finds the twins sitting outside the door. “You see little sister, last night we made no complaints when Mum sent us to bed,” George begins. 

“We didn’t even listen with extendable ears,” Fred continues.

“Now we’ve got questions and you’re hiding something so spill.” They finish in unison. 

Rolling her eyes Ginny moves towards the kitchen. “Do you two practice talking at the same time to be annoying or are you just fortunate enough to be that annoying?” She muses as she reaches the table. Taking a plate, she begins piling on the food Molly has laid out. 

Both twins shrug and spin chairs around to face her. “We may not be as bright as Charlie or Bill,” one of the twins begins again. 

“or even Percy,” the other continues. “But we are tricksters, and we know when there’s a secret.” 

There’s no surprise in the twins realizing she has a secret. In fact, she finds herself more surprised they didn’t eavesdrop last night. “If I tell you, neither of you can tell a soul. Mum and Dad know, they’ll tell Remus, and I’ll tell our other brothers. You can’t repeat this, not even to Lee or Angelina.” Ginny waits for the two to decide if they can keep the secret. 

The twins look at each other, nod, and then look back to Ginny before letting out a simultaneous “We agree.”

Finishing her piece of toast, Ginny sets her plate aside. Not wanting to test her stomach too much between her morning sickness and the stress she doesn’t take another bite. “I’m pregnant, realized yesterday told Mum and Dad, Harry doesn’t know.” She tells them, genuinely unsure of what reaction to expect. 

Of all the reactions, she never expected Fred to slide 5 galleons towards George. “Told you.” George mutters slipping the galleons into his pocket. “May I suggest naming the baby after yours truly?” George says with a smirk. 

Utterly confused by what she’s witnessed Ginny gestures vaguely before blurting out “What the bloody hell? You two bet on this?” She all but yells. 

“Just last night, we thought you were acting funny. Fred thought you just hadn’t broken up with Harry and actually managed to lie to the death eaters. I found your vomiting and Mum sending us to bed a little suspicious.” George explains reaching for a piece of bacon. 

Still shocked, Ginny doesn’t quite know how to respond. “We’re bloody happy for ya sis, always thought we’d be great uncles.” Fred says placing a hand on hers. “Maybe it’s not the best time and you’re young but if you ask me you’re at least 5 years older than us emotionally.” 

“And you’ll be a great Mum,” George adds. 

Not for the first time since she found out, Ginny can feel her eyes brimming with tears. “Thank you.” She says softly grasping the hands of the twins. 

Telling her other brothers goes so smoothly Ginny thinks Fred and George might have broken their promise and told them first. She’s not naïve enough to believe Bill and Charlie would have reactions as tame and positive as they do. Most of her believes the twins told the other two, and then immediately threatened them over their reactions in front of Ginny. Normally, she would hate any sort of babying like this, but right now she cannot bring herself to care. 

Arthur takes care of making sure Remus knows so he can have a plan in place in case a need arises to get Ginny out of Hogwarts and into hiding. With Percy, Arthur explains the need to get Ginny’s trace removed quickly, and that they’ll need to prevent one from developing on the baby. 

Molly helps Ginny figure out the charms to cast on her school clothes. Robes will hide most of the weight gain, but Molly and Ginny alike agree they need to keep the pregnancy undetectable. 

The date Ginny has to leave for Hogwarts creeps closer on the calendar and she fills with dread a little more every day. By the end of August, she figures out she’s due in March. If she can last at Hogwarts until the end of November or December, and just disappears during the break it should give Percy enough time to set her free of the trace. 

Ginny’s always been the smallest in her family, she’s known for years how to get away with things her brothers haven’t. How to escape just before trouble and cause enough mayhem to get her point across. She knows the danger she faces carrying this baby and just hopes the parts of her that successfully practiced flying on her brothers’ brooms for years could help her make it through this pregnancy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this headcanon that Fred and George are incredibly protective over their little sister. 
> 
> Drop a review and let me know what you thought!


	6. Little Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ginny's headed to Hogwarts now. Everything should go smoothly right?

The morning Ginny’s set to leave for Hogwarts begins the same way most of the others have since she found out about her pregnancy, hunched over the toilet in the bathroom next to her room. Her mother explained this sickness lessened after the third month, and Ginny could only hope that meant sometime in the next few weeks for her. The longer Ginny’s morning sickness stayed, the higher the chances of someone at school recognizing her pregnancy. Already she felt pretty confident even with the concealment charms Luna would figure it out. 

Standing up Ginny runs a hand over her abdomen. In the past few weeks she’s developed the slightest bump, still undetectable under her normal clothes, but there nonetheless. Turning sideways Ginny looks at herself sideways in the mirror. Lifting up her shirt, Ginny takes notice of her bump, knowing full well at school she won’t be able to. 

“Ginny can you come here?” Molly calls from the kitchen. Dropping her shirt Ginny heads down the stairs. 

Spotting Bill at the table, Ginny smiles and takes a seat across from him. Molly asks if Ginny wants tea and Ginny doesn’t bother to answer, knowing her mother will bring her a cup regardless of her answer. She’s right of course, as Molly places the cup of tea in front of the youngest Weasley. 

Not wanting to challenge her stomach yet, Ginny turns to Bill, “so what brings you here this morning?” By now should be at Gringotts, instead, she finds him sitting here at the table.

Pulling a box from his pocket, Bill opens it and places it in front of Ginny. Inside lies a tiny gold bracelet with a snitch charm on it. “This is an emergency portkey, it’s unregistered. Tap the snitch three times with your wand, or four with your finger, and then hold on. It’ll take you to Shell Cottage in 30 seconds.” Bill explains. 

Ginny wonders if Bill meant the symbolism in the bracelet. To the public the bracelet would just show her love of Quidditch, but Ginny plays chaser. Harry’s the seeker, not her. “Is it safe? For me and the baby?” Ginny asks letting him fasten the bracelet on her wrist. 

“It’s not encouraged for pregnant women to repeatedly travel by portkey, but if you’re using this then-“ Bill pauses for a moment. “Ginny if you’re using this it means you have no way out and need to make a quick escape.” 

Just like that Ginny’s reminded that they’re in a war, and if the wrong person found out she’s carrying Harry Potter’s baby her whole life could be on the line. “So if I have my wand I tap the snitch three times, if I don’t I tap it four times, and so long as I’m holding it, the charm will transport me to Shell Cottage?” She repeats wanting to make sure she understands. If the need arises to use this, Ginny wants to be ready. 

Bill nods. “If you’re in trouble use it.” He repeats looking at his youngest sibling. “I’m the secret keeper of Shell Cottage, now that you know you’ll be able to find it.” He shares the last piece of information needed for her to gain entrance at the cottage. 

“I will, thank you.” Ginny’s thanks come in earnest. 

The oldest Weasley stays through breakfast, and when the time comes for Ginny to leave for the train she finds herself flocked with older brothers. For as much as Ginny wants to protest, she can’t bring herself to send any of them home. One of her brothers places her trunk with the others, and she realizes there’s nothing left but to board the train. 

“Right so hug your sister goodbye,” Molly instructs her sons, her voice choked. No part of her wants to allow her daughter to attend Hogwarts this year, but she has no choice. 

One by one each of the four brothers there hugged Ginny tightly. “Just come back to us safely,” Molly pleads as the last to embrace her daughter before boarding the train. As Ginny boards the train she finds herself wishing for the first time in her life she could stay on the platform.

Finding the cabin with Luna and Neville, Ginny shuts the door as she enters. “Check we’re alone,” she says quietly. Neville stands up as they all run their hands over every empty space in the small compartment.

“We’re alone.” Luna chimes in once Ginny and Neville have sat down. Still not satisfied, Ginny reaches over and pulls the blinds down. “What do you need to tell us Ginny?” Luna asks.

Taking a breath Ginny prepares to tell them. “You can’t tell anyone. Not your families, not anyone in Dumbledore’s Army, no one.” She emphasizes the need for secrecy before she tells them. Wanting to make sure she can give her two friends an out.

Leaning forward, Neville places his forearms on his legs. “We’re on your side, on Harry’s side. If it’s a secret, we’ll keep it.” He promises without hesitation. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the run, the three of them really only have each other this year.

Glancing around one more time to ensure no one else has entered the compartment, Ginny speaks softly. “I’m pregnant. I didn’t find out until after the wedding, so Harry doesn’t know.” It goes without saying Harry’s the father.

Luna’s face breaks out into a smile. “Oh Ginny that’s wonderful! Rubbish timing, but still wonderful news.” Luna’s reaction failed to surprise Ginny, she could have guessed Luna would see the bright side. After weeks of tension in her house, Ginny needed this positivity. 

“When are you leaving Hogwarts?” Neville can barely believe Ginny’s on the train right now, if the death eaters found out she wouldn’t make it on the train.

The train grinds to a sudden stop. “I don’t know,” Ginny answers and Neville gets up.

Spotting the black trails around them a pit forms in Ginny’s stomach. Fighting the urge to protectively put her hand over her abdomen. 

“Hey genius, he’s not here,” Neville yells at the death eaters. Ginny recognizes the voice, the same group from the wedding. The train stays stopped as death eaters search the train top to bottom looking for Harry. Once the death eaters realize Harry’s clearly not on the train they vanish.

Ginny’s relief lasts only moments until she sees Hogwarts in the skyline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review and let me know what you thought!


	7. Trouble Will Find Me

Growing up Ginny wanted nothing more than to attend Hogwarts. One by one she watched her brothers load their trunks onto the train and come home with stories to tell her. Going to Hogwarts had fallen short of expectations in some ways for her. Everything with the chamber, and years after hadn’t really quieted down. For everything horrible that happened here, she still found magic, friends, and the love of her life. 

Exiting the train, Ginny stays close to Luna and Neville. Presenting themselves to Professor Flitwick the three board the carriage, an uncharacteristically alone Seamus plopping down next to them just before the carriage moves. “Dean’s not coming back this year. He sent a patronus right after the ministry fell, something tells me we’re going to lacking quite a few this year,” Seamus puts to voice the things everyone’s thought for weeks. 

The muggleborns older than 17 knew not to come back. Ginny knew even Hermione wouldn’t have stepped foot in Hogwarts this year, not with the Voldemort and his cronies at the ministry monitoring every inch of the castle. “You saw how empty the train was, even with mandatory attendance people don’t want their kids here this year.” She remarks thinking about how easily they had taken up a full cabin on the train without anyone bothering them. 

“And with the disappearances of a few professors, we’re going to have death eaters bloody roaming the halls,” Seamus adds as they pull up to the castle. 

Grimacing at the thought, Ginny knows they need to do something before the death eaters run everyone out of school. “We’ll come up with some way to stand up to them, we’ll talk tonight,” she promises getting out of the carriage.

Unable to control his face Neville looks at Ginny in shock. “You can’t really be thinking of… not with…” He trails off amazed she would put herself at risk. 

“I’m not going to let them terrorize the school, this is the one safe place we have left,” she responds in a hushed tone. After everything she went through to make Hogwarts feel safe, Voldemort and his followers didn’t get to just come in and ruin everything. 

Always seeing the positive side Luna chimes in quietly, “Ginny’s already known for a rebellious streak, if anything this would protect her more.” Ginny can’t deny Luna’s right, staying on the sidelines could put her more at risk.

Reaching the Great Hall Luna skips off towards the Ravenclaw table. Taking a seat Ginny stays closer to Neville and Seamus, not fully trusting anyone in the hall. Death eaters had joined them on the train, Ginny didn’t fool herself with notions that Hogwarts itself would somehow be safer. 

“McGonagall’s in her usual seat,” Ginny’s the first to notice the transfiguration professor didn’t move. 

Heads around her turn to look at the table. “What? She’s been deputy headmaster forever, who else could replace Dumbledore?” Neville asks craning his head around the first years to see who’s taken the fallen headmaster’s chair. 

It takes until the first years have finished with the sorting hat for the new headmaster to take a seat. Spotting the familiar black robes, the older Gryffindors look amongst each other in panic. “That’s…” Neville trails off in shock.

Bile rises in Ginny’s throat as she watches Snape take to the podium, “That’s Snape,” she finishes for Neville. Instantly she finds herself reminded of Kingsley’s patronous at Bill’s wedding and the words “the ministry has fallen.” With Dumbledore gone, and Snape as the new headmaster, Hogwarts has essentially fallen as well. 

“Students,” Snape’s voice begins from the front of the hall, amplified so even the oldest students could hear. “This year we have some… changes to our staff. Alecto Carrow will take over muggle studies, and Amycus Carrow will teach defense against the dark arts. I look forward to their significant changes to the curriculum.” 

With nothing more than a glance at the two new faces at the professor table, Ginny realizes she knows both of the professors. “Those are the death eaters that attacked us at the wedding,” she whispers in a near panic to Neville. The death eaters had known to come for her, not for the rest of her family, and having them here at Hogwarts suddenly made Ginny feel unprotected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review and let me know what you thought!!!


	8. I'm Not Asking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're really getting into the good stuff if you ask me.

Neville hardly moves from Ginny’s side as the Gryffindors make their way to the tower. Not for the first time since boarding the train she’s grateful for his friendship and presence. With death eaters now teaching at the school, Ginny knows she has a target on her back. Between her status as Harry’s ex-girlfriend and her family’s continued opposition to Voldemort, even without the knowledge of her pregnancy, death eaters could still come after her. 

Not until the portrait swings closed behind the last of the house does Ginny feel safe enough to relax. Ginny places herself in a corner seat in the common room, isolated enough for safety, but still close enough to seem normal. Neville, having apparently taken on the role of her protector sits between her and the door. Absentmindedly, her hand almost trails to her abdomen, desperately wanting to feel the tiny flutter she’d grown accustomed to over the last month. Stopping herself, Ginny remembers her spot in the common room. 

Barely settled into her seat, Seamus comes and places himself on the ground in front of Ginny and Neville. Following suit, Colin and Demelza fill out the small circle. “What are we going to do?” Colin asks first. 

Until she spotted death eaters on the train, Ginny’s main focus this year had been on remaining undetected until Percy broke her trace and she could safely flee. At best, Ginny had hoped she could make it until Christmas, virtually undetected. Now, she knew she couldn’t stay silent, not when Voldemort wanted to take the last place she felt safe. “Dumbledore’s Army,” Neville suggests, leaning forward so his arms rest atop his thighs. 

Nodding, her mind begins to run with ideas. “Still recruiting,” Ginny finishes Neville’s sentence as her mind completes the thought. “We know those with the coins from last year are on our side, but maybe we stage something to enrage them. Reminding the ministry, we’re not just going to go quietly.” The thought of just handing over the school without fighting back made her sick to her stomach.

“Oi, Colin don’t you take all those photos?” Seamus starts. Long gone are his days of doubting Harry’s spotting of Voldemort. The seventh-year boys’ dormitory fell short three boys, and Seamus wanted his friends back.

Face brightening at the thought of those photos, Colin thinks of the hundreds he’s taken over the last six years taking up space in his trunk. “We could take one of Harry, maybe even of him, Ron, and Hermione, and plaster it up somewhere in the school?” Colin suggests. 

The idea comes easily to Ginny, “And we paint over it, ‘Dumbledore’s Army: Still Recruiting’,” she can see it now, Harry’s face in one of his happier moments animated for all to see. “Plaster it in one of the hallways; we’ll print copies and disperse them around the school.” Not for the first time, Ginny wishes she’d asked Harry for the Marauder’s map before he’d left, having a hard time imagining the need for a map of the school while on the run. His invisibility cloak would have come in handy as well, but she knew he most definitely needed that. 

“I can start going through my photos tonight, I’ve got a good idea on what to use. We can have it ready by the end of the week.” Colin promises the group. 

Once again Ginny finds herself grateful for growing up with Fred and George. Years of pranks had taught her enough sticking charms and paint tricks to truly pull this off. The most difficult part would come in managing to pull this off without getting caught. “We’ll talk tomorrow after classes.” Ginny finishes. Those in front of her and Neville seem to take it as a sign to end the meeting and get up and leave. 

Sliding into the leadership role came easily here. With the trio gone and Neville’s less boisterous tendencies, Ginny taking over as de facto leader of the rebellion group almost felt natural. “Are you sure about this Ginny? It’d be perfectly understandable if you sat out this stuff,” Neville asks again, still unsure about Ginny’s involvement as a safe choice.

“We’ve been over this, I can’t just–“ Ginny starts when Seamus comes back and places himself in front of the two of them.

Checking around once to make sure they’re alone, Seamus interrupts them. “What are you two going on about?” He asks suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Neville answers all too quickly. 

Shaking his head, Seamus looks between them. “First you shut the door to your compartment in the train, you were mumbling about something walking into the Great Hall, and now you look like you’re about to argue,” for someone who struggled to use spells without setting things on fire, Seamus had noticed multiple small details between his two friends all day. “Whatever it is, I know something’s up and I’m not moving until you tell me what.” 

Neville steals a glance at Ginny, it’s not his secret to tell and he’d much rather keep it silent. Taking a second, Ginny internally debates the validity of telling Seamus. Originally, she’d planned to just tell Neville and Luna, but she couldn’t help but wonder if telling a few of the Gryffindors she trusted with her life could keep her safe. 

“If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone. Not your mum, not Hagrid, not another member of this house, not even McGonagall. If you can’t promise you can’t keep this silent then I can’t tell you.” Beneath the little bit of emotion in her voice lay a Gryffindor fierceness not reserved for everyday conversation.

Seamus doesn’t respond verbally at first, but when it becomes clear his nod won’t suffice he answers aloud. “You have my word.” His agreement comes with ease even as he knows whatever secret Ginny held wouldn’t be for the faint of heart. 

Taking a steadying breath, Ginny glances around the room once more. Still not fully satisfied that someone didn’t sit on the stairs where her eyes could not see, she casts a muffiato around the three of them. “I’m pregnant and it’s Harry’s, he doesn’t know. I’ve got a good number of concealment charms on my robes right now.” She doesn’t feel the need to share all the same information she had with Neville and Luna throughout the train ride with Seamus. He just needs enough details to feel satisfied. 

Shock crosses his face as he looks at Ginny. “Bloody hell, Weasley why are you still at school?” His voice stays hushed in a whisper, but she could never miss the shock in his voice.

“I’m a year younger than all of you. Someone’s working on making sure I’m untraceable, but until then I’m here.” She wishes she could take off, even if it meant going on the run like Harry. Anything to keep her and the baby away from a place crawling with death eaters. “I’m going to head to bed, it’s going to be a long few months.” She’s done answering questions, and now with the information she shared, she knows Neville will make sure Seamus stays quiet. 

The three all say some form of goodnight to each other. Climbing the stairs to her dormitory, Ginny finds her way into her bed. Shutting the curtains around her, she slips into her pajamas, an oversized sweatshirt that belonged to Harry and sweatpants. Baggy enough on her frame to conceal the pregnancy, Ginny avoids having to worry about getting up in the middle of the night and getting noticed. 

Behind the curtains and under her covers, a hand protective falls over her small bump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Review and let me know what you thought or if you've got any predictions for what mischief the DA might get into!


	9. Where Is My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's time that we meet at least one of the Carrow siblings...

The first day of classes comes faster than Ginny would have liked. Waking up, she barely manages to cast a silencing charm around herself as she darts to the bathroom. Keeping her roommates from noticing her morning sickness would take a lot of effort. As she got closer to the end of her first trimester she could only hope the nonstop nausea would go away. 

Managing to get ready, Ginny double checks her disillusionment charms in the mirror before heading downstairs. Unsurprisingly, she finds Neville waiting in the common room. “Are you my new protector?” Ginny jokes as they head towards the Great Hall. 

“With everything happening it’s probably better if we all stick together as much as possible,” Neville points out. For a second, she wonders if Harry had told Neville at some point to keep an eye on her. Even she can’t deny the idea’s validity if Dumbledore’s Army wanted to stand up to the death eaters staying in groups would offer protection. 

Rolling her eyes, Ginny steps through the portrait. “Or before the end of the year _someone_ came to you and asked you to keep an eye on me because he’s overprotective,” she bites back. Even knowing the safety aspect of staying together, the fiery streak in her wanting to rebel against protection.

“He might have mentioned it at the end of last year,” Neville sheepishly admits. “Something about making sure your temper didn’t land us all in permanent detention.” 

Her breath catches in her throat before she let out a watery chuckle. “Hormones,” she whispers brushing off the tears in her eyes. Since Harry ended things in June, Ginny’s had a sneaking suspicion he only did it to keep her safe. She’d called the whole thing stupidly noble, and she knew she was right.

Taking her seat at breakfast, she nibbles her way through two pieces of toast, not wanting to test her stomach in the coming classes. Almost like Neville had given her instructions, Luna glues herself to Ginny’s side. Her morning passes quickly, with her final class before lunch as muggle studies, Ginny could feel her nausea returning. 

Taking their seats, Luna takes a glance around their new classroom. “I don’t think this will be a productive class.” She says in her singsong voice. Years before Hogwarts, Luna’s mother had introduced herself to an overwhelmed Molly Weasley, and from that moment forward the two girls had been friends. 

Without having known Luna nearly as long as knowing Ron, she would never understand Luna as a Ravenclaw. Luna always managed to pick up on things no one else noticed. Sometimes Ginny wondered if the creature Luna talked about actually existed and everyone else just missed them. Hearing Luna tell her the class wouldn’t go well only increased her nerves. For a moment she lets her mind wander. Wondering if her child would end up in Gryffindor or some other house.

“Gryffindor,” Luna muses. “It’d be impossible to be anything else with your family.” She doesn’t have to ask how Luna knows, she always knows. 

The slamming of the classroom door pulls Ginny from her reverie. The professor introduced last night as Alecto Carrow comes in and places herself center at the front of the room. “Muggles…” she begins sounding all too similar to Dolores Umbridge, “like animals, stupid and dirty, have surrounded our lands and driven us into hiding.”

Nausea fills Ginny’s stomach, and she knows it’s not pregnancy related. Under the table, Luna places a comforting hand on Ginny’s thigh. “Relax,” Luna whispers silently enough so only Ginny hears. 

“And now we’re closer than ever to returning to our natural order,” Carrow drones and somehow Ginny stays silent. Muscles scream out for her to yell or at least tell Colin she knows it’s not true, that his parents, Hermione’s parents aren’t monsters. 

Whether out of shock or fear, the class stays silent until she lets them out with a simple “dismissed” and a terrifying smile. 

“Gonna be sick,” Ginny mumbles hastily to Luna, hoping with every fiber of her being she could keep it together until she reached the bathroom. Instead of letting her run off, Luna follows as Ginny barely makes it into the stall before retching into the toilet.

Barely finished, Ginny hears Parvati Patil ask from behind her “Muggle studies?” in a tone which told them both the other lessons had the same level of pleasantry. “People have been getting sick all day, Padma nearly passed out.” 

Giving herself a moment to steady, Ginny stands up and moves to wash her hands. “We’re going to need to do something, we can’t let this go unchallenged.” Silently she makes a vow to not let Professor Carrow win and to do everything to avoid letting the cruel teacher get the result she so clearly wanted from Ginny. 

Checking the stalls, she’s content to realize they’re alone. “Check your coins this evening, make sure the others know to be on the lookout.” Ginny instructs, her voice taking on the same tone it had the previous night when coming up with a plan. Knowing she wouldn’t spend the full year at school, or her pregnancy did little to quell her desire to fight back. A limit on her time here forced her to work faster, not to go quietly.

Placing her hands on the sink, she looks at herself in the mirror for a moment, keeping eye contact with herself before nodding and turning around. She could do this. For the last six years she watched Harry repeatedly stand up to anyone who came after Hogwarts, she could do the same. “They can take the ministry, they can demonize perfectly good people, they can put Harry and the others on the run, but they can’t take Hogwarts.” 

Grabbing her bag from where she’d dropped it, Ginny slings it back over her shoulder. “Now, I’m a Weasley and I’m starving. Let’s head to the Great Hall before we miss lunch and I’m impossible to deal with the rest of the day.” She jokes with a small smile.

Laughing Luna follows her out. “I think that’s the brightest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she teases as they leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One Carrow down, one to go, and class with McGonagall to come.
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	10. The World I Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More classes, and another shady professor.

For her final two courses of the day, Ginny had defense against the dark arts with the new “professor” and advanced transfiguration with McGonagall. Luna had stuck by her side in every class, setting what Ginny assumed to set the tone for the year to come. 

By the time the sixth years who still take defense against the dark arts make it to the second to class, tension amongst the non-Slytherins has grown. Unlike his sister, Professor Amycus Carrow starts the class sitting in the front of the room. Without saying a word, he flicks the syllabi out across each desk. A glance at the syllabus tells her all she needs to know. Nothing about this year’s syllabus seemed like it involved defense, but rather death eater training.

“Excuse me, sir,” a Ravenclaw who’s name Ginny never learned interrupts the lesson. “Some of these spells, we’ll go to Azkaban for even practicing them.” 

White sparks shoot out of the professor’s wand and the girl falls to the ground. The spell confirms Ginny’s suspicions Amycus Carrow had paid a visit to the Burrow the night of Bill’s wedding. “Now class,” his voice begins, low and cold. “We’re going to run things differently this year.” 

Carrow strolls up and down the aisle while he speaks, wand lightly passing from hand to hand. “We’re not going to question my methods like you did with your previous teachers, we’re not going to disobey.” He pauses at Ginny’s desk to glare at her. “And if you can follow these rules you won’t have a problem, but if you don’t you’ll end up like the Ravenclaw.” Words continue to fall from his mouth for the rest of the hour, but Ginny would bet no one listens. 

The Ravenclaw gets up, looking shaken and like she’s fighting the urge to cry or bolt. Ginny wants to get up and protest, to remind the professor of the prescribed punishments in a tone all too reminiscent of Hermione, but she doesn’t. For the second time today, she finds herself nearly stunned into an uncharacteristic silence. 

Getting to McGonagall’s class in a haze, she takes her usual seat next to Luna. Almost as if McGonagall knew about the horridness of the two earlier classes, she takes her time easing into the lesson, managing to slowly pull her students back in. Not catching all of what she said, Ginny can feel McGonagall’s eyes on her for just long enough to force her to turn away. “I feel like she knows,” Ginny whispers to Luna. 

Luna doesn’t reply as they move into transforming the cup. Grateful to have something to focus on, Ginny puts her efforts into mastering the spell until the period ends. Transfiguration came easily to the youngest Weasley, almost as naturally as defense courses did, but now with her spells set to hide her pregnancy Ginny’s transfiguration abilities had significantly improved. 

“Miss Weasley if you don’t mind a moment,” Minerva requests in a tone that implies she will not ask twice. 

Following quietly, Ginny takes a seat in the head of house’s office, watching as McGonagall silently casts two spells after the door closes. “I am missing several of my students this year,” she begins, Scottish accent thick as ever. “I understand that your closest friends come from a certain trio that is particularly absent.” She continues, and Ginny keeps listening trying to understand. 

“That’s not the only thing that’s changed for the worse if you ask me, but I think you already know that.” Minerva prompts and Ginny nods easily agreeing. “Ginevra, whatever is going on this year, it is not above a Gryffindor to ask for help if they get in too deep.” 

Quirking her eyebrow, Ginny looks up in confusion. “Professor?” She asks not fully understanding. 

“You’ve charmed your robe,” Minerva points out. “I don’t know why and believe me the two new _professors_ if you feel like calling them that won’t notice. They were never the brightest as students especially in a charms or transfiguration setting, and I won’t be divulging this information.” While she’s suspicious of the charm, McGonagall can’t figure out exactly why Ginny could have charmed the robe for anything other than protection. 

To the transfiguration professor, the charm just seemed like an attempt to avoid some of the coarser teachings of the Carrow siblings. “Hogwarts is meant to be a home, not a prison. So, if you ever feel like Hogwarts is not a home, I do hope you’ll ask me for help.” Her message seems clearer than the riddles Dumbledore seemed to love talking in but still left Ginny confused. 

“I’m sorry Professor, but I’m a little confused,” Ginny admits sheepishly. Although she felt like she understood part of what McGonagall was saying, she couldn’t afford any mistakes. 

“I’m just saying, that if you need help, need to confide something or realize that you and the rest of the DA are in over your heads that you can come ask me for help. Sometimes, the bravest thing a Gryffindor can do is realize when to reach out,” McGonagall says and suddenly everything clicks into place for Ginny. “I am not going to lose any more students, not this time.” She adds, and Ginny swears she can see the trauma from the first war. 

For a moment, Ginny almost cracks. The head of Gryffindor house had always seemed stern, but Ginny thought under that lay a level of kindness and a warmth similar too her own mother. “Thank you, professor,” she says still unsure. 

Nodding once, the professor looks at the young girl. “Is there anything I need to know?” She asks one final time. 

“I can’t tell you yet,” Ginny admits. Unable to outright lie, she hopes this explains enough. “You don’t need to know yet,” She emphasizes.

Satisfied with the answer, McGonagall breaks the spells she had cast earlier. “Very well, you know where to find me when I do.” She would have liked to have been told whatever plagued Ginny right away, but she did trust that just like Potter that in the right moment Ginny would come to her. 

“Thank you, professor, really,” Ginny says before leaving the room. 

Letting the door shut behind her, Ginny heads out of the professor’s office and towards the Great Hall. Slipping quietly through the halls, she does her best to avoid meeting the two new death eater professors. Conversation with McGonagall weighing heavily on her mind, Ginny takes her seat by Neville and Colin at the table. 

“Tonight, let’s pick a photo and prove our point.” She says firmly, a glance at the head table only confirming her decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like McGonagall (who if you ask me has never done anything wrong) isn't going to stay on the sidelines this year. The real question is: will Ginny tell her or get to the point where she needs help? 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	11. Motivation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dumbledore's Army will not go silently into the night.

After curfew, when everyone in Gryffindor has gone to bed, Ginny, Neville, Colin, and Seamus meet in the corner by the fireplace. Placing four photographs in the middle of the group, Colin points to one. “This is my favorite photo, I think we should use all four at some point,” He explains.

The photo must have come from one of the DA meetings two years ago. The Harry in the photo has a smile on his face as he demonstrates a spell. Sparks fly from his wand and his eyes light up. Wordlessly Ginny nods, distracted by the joy in Harry’s eyes. Moments like that for Harry have fallen by the wayside over the last few years. Ginny thinks she could probably count the moments where he smiled like that on one hand. Even the last time they’d intimately been together, she could feel his stress and almost desperation to not lose her. 

“We paint over this part in Gryffindor red,” she pointed the side of the frame. “Dumbledore’s Army: still recruiting. Colin you’re confident you know the spells to make this work?” Ginny asks ready to go to work. 

Nodding, Colin pulls the picture away from the others. Spells unfamiliar to Ginny’s ears fall from Colin’s lips as the photo duplicates, he hands her the original before adding the words and making duplicates of all sizes. “When we’re done with Hogwarts I want to work in photography, I’ve been studying.” He explains gesturing to the stacks of photos. 

Handing stacks of photos to everyone, Neville takes the giant banner in his own hands. “Tonight, is the Gryffindor prefect patrol, if we go right now we can make sure everything gets set up. The only thing is the fliers, those could easily get swept up.” Neville says, frowning at the thought of losing the hundreds of fliers before anyone could see.

In an instant the idea occurs to Ginny. “Dobby I need your help.” She calls out. The other three heads stare at her in confusion, but merely a few seconds later the house-elf pops into the room. 

“Harry Potter’s girl Wheezy has summoned Dobby,” the elf said looking up at Ginny. “How can Dobby be helping?” Harry had explained last year that whenever he called Dobby that the elf would appear and offer to help. 

Taking the fliers into her arms, Ginny hands the stack to Dobby. “I need your help please, tomorrow at breakfast can you have these fall from the ceiling in the Great Hall? You can have Winky help if you need but you can’t say who made these or where you got them from.” She instructs carefully, making sure she left no room for interpretation that could expose the group.

Dobby’s head eagerly moves up and down. “Oh this is such an honor! Dobby can make this happen. Don’t you worry girl Wheezy, Dobby has everything under control. Oh such an honor! If you be needing anything else girl Wheezy just call and Dobby will come right here.” The house elf says, taking the fliers and disapparating from the room. 

“Harry freed that elf years ago from the Malfoys, ever since he’s been loyal to Harry and the ‘Wheezys’.” Accepting Ginny’s explanation of Dobby, the quartet slips out of the portrait hole and down the hallways. 

Dozens of sticking charms between the four of them go onto the banner sized photo of Harry as it hangs in the main hallway. Once everyone’s satisfied an easy charm won’t pull the banner down, Ginny steals a last glance at the photo Harry before following everyone back to the common spaces. 

Bidding each other goodnight, Ginny breaks off from the boys to head off towards the girls’ dormitory. Slipping silently into her bed, she shuts the curtains and pulls up the covers. Unable to fully let go of the happiness she saw in the photo of Harry tonight, Ginny lets herself stay awake for a few more minutes. 

Absentmindedly her hand runs in small circles over her bump, as she wishes she could safely speak out loud. She wishes she could promise the baby growing inside her that it would be safe, or that they’d get to know their father, but Ginny can’t promise any of those things. Thus far, the idea Harry could die without knowing his child even existed had never fallen far from her mind. Silently, she reaches up to wipe a few stray tears that had fallen at the thought. 

It doesn’t take long for Ginny to fall asleep, letting herself think of what could happen if she and the baby survived the war, and what could happen if Harry did too.

Morning comes too quickly again, and Ginny finds a small relief in her lack of nausea. Getting ready quickly and casting her charms, she’s careful to think about what McGonagall noticed yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Ginny finds Neville waiting for her in the common room. “Good morning bodyguard,” she teases. 

“Someone’s perky this morning, are you sure you’re a Weasley?” Neville quips back as they move towards the Great Hall. Having shared a room with Ron for the past six years Neville had picked up on the fact that most Weasleys, especially the youngest two, were not pleasant people in the morning. 

Unable to resist the urge, Ginny sticks her tongue out at him. “I’ll have you know that I feel better than I’ve felt in weeks.” Waking up and not spending time with her head in a toilet bowl did wonders for one’s mood.

Taking her seat at the table, Ginny notices she’s instantly flanked by Seamus on the side opposite Neville. Still not fully trusting her stomach to not empty itself, she slowly takes in two pieces of toast. The moment she decides to reach for the bacon, Dobby fulfills her request. 

While last night they’d handed Dobby maybe a hundred fliers, it seemed like he’d duplicated them all several times over. Thousands of fliers fall from the ceiling with Harry’s face and the phrase “Dumbledore’s Army: Still Recruiting” painted across the corner. 

“Bloody hell.” Seamus mutters through the onslaught of photos. Once, Harry told Ginny about how when he got his letter Vernon refused to give any of them to Harry, to the point where thousands of letters flooded the house. Now, sitting in the Great Hall, she can only now imagine what exactly that looked like.

_“ENOUGH.”_ Snape bellows from the front of the room. Waving his wand the fliers stop falling from the ceiling but don’t disappear. “Anyone… caught with these fliers will receive an immediate… detention.” He threatens. “Off to your classes. Now.” He barks dismissing the students with a wave of his hand. 

Ginny finds Luna and moves towards her classes with a smile neither of the Carrow siblings could destroy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it seems like they got the reaction they wanted from the headmaster. 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	12. Coming of Age

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's been a minute, I've been rather excited for this chapter though.

September faded out, but the binds holding the poster of Harry smiling to the wall of Hogwarts did not.

Weeks later the death eaters at Hogwarts have grown irritated by the poster’s refusal to come down. While professors like Slughorn and McGonagall pretended to be flummoxed by the sticking charms, Amycus Carrow had taken to trying to physically pull the banner down. Privately, Ginny wondered if Dobby had used some of his own magic to strengthen the spells she and the others used to keep the poster up. 

The longer the poster stayed up, the more the Carrows seemed to grow irritated. Not in direct retaliation, but as the death eater siblings failed to secure control of the student body their punishments on students grew worse. Outspoken students found themselves on the receiving ends of cruciatus curses and stinging hexes. Ginny carefully avoided the unforgivables and managed to always land a hex on her arm or shoulder, away from the baby. Although not the best plan, until word from Percy came, she had little other choice.

Walking back from the dining hall to Gryffindor tower, Ginny stays close to Neville. As they pass Amycus Carrow trying once again pull the poster down. “Seems like a waste of time,” she mutters with a soft chuckle.

Whipping his head around, Amycus turns with a sadistic smile on his face. “What did you say girl?” He asks pointing his wand directly at her.

Knowing the best thing for her and the baby comes from getting out of here unharmed Ginny shakes her head. “Nothing sir,” she says softly. Neville tenses beside Ginny as they look at the wand in her face.

“Are you calling me a liar?” Amycus asks, his voice mocking as he rotates the wand back and forth in front of her. “Crucio.” He calls out before having the chance to respond.

Screams erupt from Ginny as she falls to the ground, somehow managing to land on her side. Pain erupts from all over her body as she writhes on the ground. She’s sure fire must be coming from every inch of her body, yet somehow pins also find their way into her skin. Struggling to breathe through the pain and her screams, Ginny’s mind flits to the child she’s carrying. For everything she feels, she can feel coming for the child she carries as well. 

Everything goes silent the moment the curse lifts. Depleted of all energy, Ginny tries to stay awake to figure out how to escape. The portkey on her wrist comes to mind but she doesn’t think she can manage to reach the tiny charm. 

“What in merlin is going on here?” McGonagall’s voice through the fog, and she lets out a small sigh of relief. The footsteps Ginny hears sound like too many to belong to just the transfiguration professor, and the voice of the new headmaster joins a moment later. 

“If you and Mr. Longbottom would take Miss Weasley to the hospital wing, I’ll have a discussion with Amycus, I’m sure he has a… reason,” Even without seeing Snape’s face, Ginny can sense Snape’s irritation. 

Crouching down, Neville puts himself in Ginny’s eyesight, before gently lifting her up. “The baby,” she whispers her voice barely making a sound. The walk to the hospital wing she fights to stay conscious, wanting to at least tell Madam Pomfrey what to pay attention to before she surrendered to sleep.

Meanwhile next to the poster stood Snape and Amycus. “We’ve gone over this, no turning the Gryffindors into martyrs,” he snaps. 

“The girl deserved it, snickering at me. No doubt she and that friend of hers put this up.” Amycus argues back.

Taking a breath to control his anger, Severus spoke again. “If you give them the chance to be martyrs it makes our cause that much harder,” his voice clearly enunciates each word as if speaking to an idiot. “The Dark Lord also forbid you from using unforgivable on anymore purebloods. So I suggest you don’t do that again or I will inform him you’ve been less than cooperative.” 

Having fallen out of Voldemort’s good graces after the Weasley wedding had landed both Carrow twins at the school. Crossing Snape would surely throw them out for good. Amycus could never understand why the dark lord liked the professor, but he knew better than to question him again. “Yes Severus,” he agrees. 

Frowning once more at the new defense against the dark arts teacher, Snape turns in a huff, black robes flowing around him as he walks towards the hospital wing. Arriving only moments after Ginny, Neville, and McGonagall, he walks in to see Ginny trying to brush off the healer from handing her a potion. 

“Can’t.” Ginny argues shutting her mouth again. She knows she needs to explain, but Madam Pomfrey doesn’t seem to want to move more than an inch from the girl’s face. Snape watches curiously as the girl’s eyes flick to Neville, as if pleading with him to explain.

Taking notice of Ginny’s refusal and the panic in her eyes, Neville steps in. “Maybe we should give her a second,” He suggests carefully. 

“Nonsense, she needs anti-cruciatus potion,” Pomfrey argues trying once again to get Ginny to willingly take the potion. 

Shaking her head again Ginny finally gets a question out. “Is it safe?” 

Looking affronted at the question, Pomfrey responds outraged. “Oh honestly, I brew it myself. This is ridiculous, Miss Weasley you’re being difficult.” She huffs. 

Making eye contact with Neville, Ginny nods at him. They’d gone over what to do if a medical situation arose, what Neville needed to do if Ginny found herself incapacitated. “Are you with the order or are you with you-know-who?” Neville asks pointing his wand at Snape. It’s no match if it comes to a duel, but Neville’s determined to keep Ginny safe, he promised Harry. 

“Why does that concern you Mr. Longbottom?” Snape asks measuredly, not moving to get his own wand. 

“I promised I would take care of Ginny, so before you stay in here for any other part of her healing, are you with us or them?” Neville repeats surprising himself by his own bravery. 

Snape whips out his wand not to attack Neville, but to throw a locking charm on the doors of the hospital wing. “There’s a portkey on her wrist, it’s unclear why she didn’t use it earlier.” Snape begins and the eyes widen in confusion. “Percy is in the middle of trying to break your trace, he’s rather close.” Snape continues, throwing one more glance at the door to be sure his locks held before continuing. 

“I know why you’ve charmed your robes Miss Weasley, and it’s the same reason a book of names in my office is going to mysteriously disappear come the beginning of March. Does that answer for everyone which side I’m on?” He finishes and his face shows no source of emotion. “That potion does no harm to you in your condition, you’re safe to take it.” He adds in for good measure.

Outraged at someone else giving her charge an order Madam Pomfrey joins in again. “What condition? I believe I’m the healer here.” She says fighting to take control back of her ward. 

“I’m fourteen weeks pregnant,” Ginny explains softly from the bed. “With Harry’s child.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm seems like Snape might not be as evil as we thought? What do you all think about that?
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought overall! Next chapter will have a reaction from our lovely head of house.


	13. Byegone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while! I moved and started a new job, but here's a new chapter!

“Right then, so this potion is safe, but I can’t give you dreamless sleep.” Madam Pomfrey breaks the silence by offering Ginny the potion. With a nod, Ginny takes the potion feeling relief flood her system. “I’d like to give you pain potion, but you can’t have very much. It’s not recommended often or in large qualities for pregnant women.” 

Shaking her head, Ginny gives her refusal. “If it’s not recommended, I’m not taking it, not after that.” A little residual pain meant almost nothing to her compared to earlier, and she refused to risk anything else happening to her baby. “Anti-cruciatus is enough.” She reiterates, ready to succumb to sleep. 

Frowning, Pomfrey accepts the answer. “Right, well you’re going to stay here overnight, and I want to start doing check-ins. I just want to check the heartbeat then I’ll give you all a moment,” the healer says taking a step towards Ginny’s abdomen.

Before she can question anything, Pomfrey casts the amplifying charm and Ginny can hear the heartbeat for the first time. Surrounded by professors and her best friend fell far from how she hoped to have anything happen with the baby. A fluttering heartbeat fills the room and Ginny feels tears form at the corner of her eyes. “Everything’s just fine, I trust your professors won’t keep you up.” Pomfrey says pointedly before heading to her quarters. 

Moving slightly, Ginny leans up against the bed. “Who in the outside of my family knows? I’ve told them, Neville, Luna, and Seamus,” She trusted that her father had only told those in the order who needed to know, but Ginny didn’t fully trust Snape.

“Remus and I, and before you ask, I am completely with the order, no one else knows.” Even with Snape saying he was fully with them, Ginny didn’t know if she could trust him. If her father had told him about the pregnancy, then she felt almost like she could trust him, and McGonagall trusting him enough gave her a sense of comfort. 

The silence continues for barely a moment when McGonagall speaks. “So, it would appear that we, as teachers do our best to make sure Miss Weasley doesn’t end up alone,” She says pointedly. “I’ll admit I thought you were hiding something, but I just figured you knew the location of your missing classmates.” Not for the first time, Ginny wishes she had any inkling of an idea where to find her brother and his friends. 

“Believe me, I have no idea where to find any of them.” Harry doesn’t even know, Ginny adds silently. 

Nodding McGonagall seems to accept the answer, and Ginny can feel herself craving the older woman’s approval. “We’ll make sure you get out of here safely.” McGonagall promises rising to leave the hospital wing. “Now, I think it’s time everyone went to bed. Mr. Longbottom, I assume you’re going to stay here, headmaster if you’d walk back with me.” Her voice leaves little room for argument.   
Once both professors have left the room, Neville takes a moment to change before laying down in the bed across from Ginny. “So, Snape’s on our side? I never would have guessed,” he muses with a chuckle. 

“It would appear that way,” Ginny mumbles. One hand draped protectively over her stomach, it doesn’t take long to let herself fully succumb to sleep. 

Minerva waits until she and Severus have stepped away from any potential prying ears before asking her questions, wordlessly following him into the headmaster’s office, she checks once more for any unfriendly ears. “Severus, I trusted you and Albus when you said you had a plan for his death, can I trust you here?” The addition of the Carrow siblings to the teaching staff had not sat well with her, even knowing the school could have received worse death eaters for professors. 

Gesturing to the chair in front of him for Minerva, he drops into his own seat. “I made many mistakes in the first war, and I am not apt to repeat them this time. If Albus was right on how Potter will defeat the dark lord, then we have to protect Miss Weasley and their child.” Snape knew theatrics wouldn’t end the conversation like they would have with Dumbledore. 

While Dumbledore always accepted answers given with a dramatic flair easier, McGonagall would only follow such a performance up with more questions and skepticism. “I know that you feel the need to repent for what happened in the first war, but is that enough or do I need to obliterate your memory of this evening?” Her voice leaves little room for argument. 

“I know that much of what has happened in Potter’s life spirals from my actions in the first war,” Severus pauses for a moment, looking around to ensure no one has followed them before continuing. “I’m not interested in repeating those mistakes, I will make sure Miss Weasley and the child are safe even if it’s the last thing I do.” The severity of his words leaves little room for doubt. 

“Well on that note, I’ll see you tomorrow Severus.” Minever nods before heading off towards her quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought! I'll try to post the next chapter quickly!


	14. Slide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello it's me again! I know still a long time but figuring out the new job and moving and all that, but to make up for it here's 1300 words!
> 
> And since I realized it might not have been infinitely clear, we are currently in the middle of October.

Ginny’s sleep falls far from peaceful. Images of Harry and the baby’s lives ending at the hands of Voldemort flash through her mind. 

Waking with a jolt Ginny sits up quickly, her muscles screaming in protest. Blinking slowly, she takes in the room around her. As the room materializes, she recognizes the figure in the chair next to her bed as Neville. Before she can say anything Madam Pomfrey comes flurrying in. 

“According to the monitoring charms, you both are completely fine.” Pomfrey says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I hope to not see you back here under these circumstances again, but if you do find yourself in trouble come back her quickly.” Her voice drops at the end and Ginny nods solemnly. 

As Ginny stands up, Neville wakes with a stretch in the chair. “I trust I don’t need to tell you the dangers of if you did find yourself on the receiving end of more curses like that?” Pomfrey says softly the tone of her voice still conveying the seriousness of Ginny’s health.

“Believe me I know.” Ginny agrees before walking out of the hospital wing. Every day she hoped the clumsy owl she knew to belong to her brother would drop a letter on her plate informing her of her freedom. Every day which passed she felt closer to getting discovered. Even if her brothers felt they could trust Snape, she didn’t know if she could. 

Reaching the common room, Ginny turns to Neville. “If you wouldn’t mind meeting me down here in half an hour, I don’t think we should walk to breakfast alone.” Any complaints about Neville and Seamus flanking her like bodyguards vanished after the previous evening. For weeks the two seventh years had followed Ginny and Luna alike from class to class, making sure Ginny never had a moment outside the common room alone. Now, the idea of safety in numbers felt secure. Although she hated the idea of putting anyone else in danger, Ginny knew that walking alone put the baby in danger in a way she just couldn’t risk right now. 

Nodding Neville looks upstairs. “Seamus is never on time for anything, so we’ll meet you down here before we head to the Great Hall.” He agrees before jogging up the steps to the boys’ dormitory. 

Climbing her own set of stairs, she enters the sixth-year girls’ room wishing she could just crawl into her bed and shut the curtains. Carefully grabbing everything she would need to get ready, Ginny heads off into the shower. 

Standing under the spray, Ginny allows the water to beat directly on her face, her own tears mixing in with the warm spray. A hand wanders to softly caress her bump. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers pulling her face out of the water. Her mind runs as she tries to think of what will happen in the next few months. Ginny has no idea if or when she’ll ever see Harry again, and no doubt their child will look like him, and even if the baby doesn’t it wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Part of having this child meant deciding to have the child and go into hiding, ready to go on the run at only a moment’s notice. Until Voldemort died, she could never sleep soundly. 

“How could I be so stupid? We knew better.” She mumbles to herself. They’d known better, her mother had taught her the anti-conception charm long ago, and she knew Sirius had taught Harry. Yet, despite knowing better, last year had felt almost safe at the end. The time Ginny and Harry had completely alone was rare, but it was easy for them to get swept up together, she knew exactly how they could have forgotten – she bore the evidence every day. 

For the briefest of moments, she allows herself to think back to the last spring. Before the death of Dumbledore, before she knew Harry wouldn’t return the next year when they could have moments together. The smallest of smiles comes across her face as she thinks about sitting with him, propped up against a tree as they pretended to study in the warmth. 

A sigh escapes her lips, and even though Ginny doesn’t feel safe or know if Harry will ever find out they’re a family she feels okay enough to turn off the shower and head down to meet Neville. Dressing quickly, she ties her long hair back in a braid before carefully taking the stairs to find Neville and Seamus sitting on the couch waiting. 

“About bloody time ay? I’m starving.” Seamus complains as he stands up.

With a roll of her eyes, Ginny moves towards the door. “You’re always starving Seamus, there’s nothing different now than there will be in an hour except you won’t have soot on your face.” She points out as the three slip out of the portrait hole.

“She’s right you know,” Neville adds in. “All that’s going to be different is in an hour you’ll still have a little soot in your hair from whatever you set on fire at breakfast or in our first class.” 

“Hey! I’ve gotten a lot better at getting the soot out of my hair. It hardly ever stays now.” Seamus protests as the three take their seats in the hall.

Chuckling Ginny begins to put food on her plate. “Yet you still can’t stop the fire from happening.” She points out. Even if the conversation felt utterly ridiculous, Ginny’s grateful in this moment to have the both of them. She doesn’t feel the need to check if the Carrows are staring at her, she can just focus on teasing her friends and eating breakfast. With just under six weeks until the start of winter holidays, she hopes that she can make it to the end of the term. 

Luna finds her way over the table just before it’s time to leave. “Ginny the way you’ve done your braid leaves you susceptible to Nargles.” Luna explains taking the tie out to begin rebraiding Ginny’s hair. Too tired to argue with Luna, Ginny just lets her redo the plait figuring that if Luna thought warding off Nargles might help then she really had no reason not to do so. 

“Neville your hair also leaves you susceptible, have you considered maybe doing braids on the top? I can show you how.” She offers in her usual singsong voice.   
Blushing furiously, Neville shakes his head. “Maybe later, I’d hate to take any of your time away from helping Ginny out.” He says but it doesn’t miss Ginny’s attention the look Neville gives Luna as she shrugs. 

As Luna finishes up the braid it’s time to head to class and the four set off together. Taking their usual seats in what the female Carrow insisted on calling muggle studies, Ginny tries her best to go unnoticed. Without a doubt, Amycus had told Alecto what happened and Ginny wanted to involve as little attention to herself as possible. 

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ginny can feel his eyes and anger on her as he sits there lecturing the class. Stinging curses fly out to students who fail to answer his questions, and Ginny carefully avoids ending up on the receiving end of those curses. The class leaves her drained and ready to curl up in her bed instead of heading to transfiguration. 

For the rest of the day, she hears whispers about how Amycus had attacked her in the corridors the night before, but Ginny does her best to avoid paying attention. Allowing her friends to flank her for the whole day without complaint, she quietly goes from class to class until she can safely return to her dorm. Bidding a nearly silent goodbye, Ginny pulls the curtains around her bed, changes quickly and allows sleep to claim her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? What'd you think?
> 
> Review and let me know!


	15. Blackbird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little bit filler and to place where we are in the deathly hallows plot.

“He’s been sighted!” Seamus’ thick accent breaks through Ginny’s reverie at breakfast. Flinging the Prophet down onto the table her eyes dart to the photo of three people running through the halls of the ministry. She’d recognize the ginger curls of her brother anywhere, but her eyes go straight to the uncontrolled black locks of Harry. Ones she’d run her fingers through countless times in their brief time together. 

UNDESIRABLE No. 1 BREAKS INTO MINISTRY

She skims the article, assuming it’s some sort of slander about how Harry hated the ministry and the wizarding world. As her eyes wander back to the dark locks, she can’t help but think back to last year and their time alone. If not for the fact she’s currently sitting in the Great Hall, her hand would have wandered to her abdomen with thoughts of what they created. 

“So, he’s still on the run?” She asks in a hushed whisper, not expecting an answer. With the Prophet calling him a criminal still at large Ginny can only hope Harry escaped. If Voldemort caught Harry, she could only imagine what would happen. 

A professor moves towards the group of Gryffindors at breakfast and any conversation falls by the wayside. “Let’s change the photo,” Neville suggests as the professor strolls by. “Let’s use this photo and change the language.”

“It’s not too late to fight back.” Ginny offers quietly. 

“With Dumbledore’s Army across the bottom.” Collin adds in.

With the group agreeing upon the new flyer, Seamus shoves the paper into his pocket, protecting it from any snatching hands of professors. Any unfavorable headline about Voldemort that managed to make it into the paper would quickly find itself snatched up by the Carrows or Snape himself. 

During their classes both Carrows threaten more students, stinging hexes fly wildly when students get an answer wrong or don’t answer quickly enough. One catches Ginny’s arm when she doesn’t answer a question about unforgivable curses in defense against the dark arts. 

The few students above fifth year left in Gryffindor carefully guide the students back. Ginny lets Neville walk her back to the tower, grateful for his protection in the hallway, before he spends the better part of an hour walking younger students back to the tower. Older students in other houses do the same, working quietly to prevent any young student falling victim to the death eater professors. 

Ginny waits on the couch in the common area. Once the students have trickled off to bed the remaining members of Dumbledore’s Army will sit and begin creating the posters for Dobby to distribute. Collin has carefully taught all of them the spells needed to turn photos in leaflets to distribute. 

“Dobby I need your help.” Ginny calls quietly. For whatever reason, Dobby only came when Ginny called, she couldn’t quite figure out why but she assumed it had something to do with Harry giving him instructions. 

With a quiet crack, Dobby appears in the common room. “Hello Miss Harry Potter’s girl wheezy, how can Dobby help?” he asks. 

“Can you do what you did last time with these flyers?” She gestures to the stack next to her. “We want to distribute these at breakfast.” Ginny’s instructions are clear. 

“Oh yes Miss girl wheezy. Dobby can do this, Dobby is very happy to be helping. Dobby will go now and do this.” Dobby disappears with a snap taking all the flyers with him. 

Once Dobby’s taken the flyers the group folds up the poster, Colin carefully leading the way as the group of four walks down the corridors. With a few flicks of their wands the poster adheres itself to the wall. As Ginny’s casting one of the last spells a shout comes from down the hallway. “Who’s there?” Alecto Carrow’s voice carries down the hall.

“Run.” Neville mouths and the group sprints back towards the tower. For the first time, she can really feel the weight of her pregnancy as she struggles to keep up. 

The group barely makes a noise as they dash down the hallway. Ginny can feel her heart racing, Carrow continues to call out after them “It’s foolish to run. I’m still going to catch you.” 

Collin mutters the password and for once in her existence, the fat lady opens the door quickly. Stepping inside, a collective sigh of relief escapes the group. Gryffindor tower would never let any non-Gryffindors in. “That was close.” He says huffing for breath.

Cautiously eyeing behind them one more time Ginny speaks. “That was too close.” Her heart beats quickly in her chest. 

“Let’s never do this again.” Seamus adds with a chuckle. The group nods before heading off to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned. We've definitely got more at hogwarts coming. 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	16. Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter!

Keeping with the pattern they’ve established since the beginning of school, Neville and Seamus flank Ginny as they walk from the dormitory to the Great Hall. If not for the fact their protection kept her and her unborn child safe, she would laugh at how it made her seem like she was only seconds from imminent danger. Ginny couldn’t deny it though, attending school meant that at any moment Ginny ran the risk of someone attacking her for simply being Harry’s ex-girlfriend. 

Neville mumbles something about what he hopes is available for breakfast, and she merely nods, noticing the Headmaster’s eyes on her as she moves towards her seat. Taking her usual seat, it takes only moments for Luna to move over from the Ravenclaw table to glue herself at Ginny’s side.

Luna’s been Ginny’s friend since before Luna’s mother died, and over the past few months Ginny’s found herself eternally grateful for that friendship. At no moment has she had to question whether the strange blonde girl was on her side. She had absolutely no doubts that Luna would protect her secret. In a normal year, Ginny would have turned to Hermione to make plans and research spells to help her get by undetected but for now she would have to trust who remained at the school.

Picking at the food in front of her, Ginny hardly notices as a familiar clumsy brown screech owl flops down onto the table in front of her. “Hermes.” Ginny mumbles in surprise. Any letter she’d gotten since boarding the train came from Pigwidgeon, but this owl firmly belonged to Percy. 

Untying the envelope from the bird’s ankle, Ginny gives him a corner of toast before the bird flurries off. 

_Dearest Sister,_

_It has come to my attention that your school break is coming up. While I do not know if you’ll choose to return home to our parents, I wanted to extend an offer that you are welcome to spend the holidays with me. As a witch of considerable societal standing I would hope you would promise that you are solemnly up to good behavior. I know that Fred and George always find themselves partial to pranks, especially with letters, but I hope you will behave with much more grace._

_Do write me if you decide to come visit._

_Warmly,_

_Percy_

For a moment Ginny stares at the letter, confused. Percy’s station as a spy inside the ministry remained a tightlipped secret within their family and writing her seemed confusing. Rereading the letter several more times she notices his peculiar language and the mention of the twins. Racking her brain, she remembers the map and the password needed to get into it. 

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” She whispers pointing her wand at the page. 

_Dear Ginny,_

_The trace is broken. Harry has broken into the ministry, and eyes are on our parents. Consider disappearing before you get to King’s Cross. The ministry is prepared to question you looking for Harry, and I don’t know how much I’ll be able to protect you. I won’t be able to write again._

_Burn this._

_Love,_

_Perce_

Reading the letter three more times, she commits the words to memory before reverting the letter back to the original messaging. “Seamus,” Ginny whispers folding the paper up. “I need you to set this on fire.” She instructs handing him the folded piece of paper. A fire coming from Ginny Weasley this early in the morning would seem suspect, but no one would think anything of it coming from him. 

Within a few second the paper has erupted into flames as has Seamus’ plate to distract from the piece of paper. 

“Honestly Finnigan you would think that after 17 years you would be able to eat breakfast without setting everything on fire.” Snape says with disgust walking up behind them. “Ridiculous. Five points from Gryffindor for destroying other’s belongings and being disruptive during breakfast.” The headmaster turns and the ashes disappear from in front of the quartet.

Snape obviously knew Ginny’s trace had been broken, and that with only a few weeks until the Christmas holidays she needed to plan to not return after break. Everyday Hogwarts grew more unsafe. Frustration boiled over on the Alecto twins as they continued to dole out curses on students. Ginny had learned how to turn or deflect curses in a way that allowed her to protect the baby. 

“And look you’ve singed Weasley. Miss Weasley if you’d follow me.” Snape instructs gesturing to Ginny to step away from the table. 

Confused she stands up and follows the professor. In her robes she takes ahold of her wand, preparing to make an exit if she needs. “Headmaster I’m fine. He didn’t get me.” Ginny protests quietly as they walk down the hallway. 

“Professor Carrow will be teaching unforgivables, no doubt on students despite my protests. If you insist on staying at this school, you’d be smart to spend the day in the infirmary.” Snape yanks open the door to the hospital wing and Ginny finds the protest falling from her mouth. As much as she would like to argue and say she should stand right next to her classmates, she has more to protect.

The moment the door opens Madam Pomfrey hustles her in. “Ah let me see that burn.” The matron shuffles her away from the Headmaster and towards a bed in the corner. “Now dear I’m going to use a charm so that anyone coming in here won’t directly notice you.” She explains. 

For hours Ginny watched as students came into the hospital wing. It seemed no age had managed to escape the wrath of the Carrows, Ginny had no idea what in the school had made them so upset but she knows she can’t stay at this school much longer. With only a few weeks until Christmas, she wanted to make it to the end of the term, but as she spent the day hiding in plain sight she wondered if she could safely make it to the train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hogwarts seems like it's starting to feel unsafe, but it seems like we can trust Snape?
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	17. Rescue Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! It's been a minute, I was really stuck on this chapter and life's been busy. But hopefully almost 1400 words makes up for it!

With each passing day, Ginny can feel herself growing increasingly unsafe. Hexes increasingly fly towards students throughout the day. More than once she’s found herself on the end of the stinging hex or watched Neville step in front of her to take the brunt of something. She could tell by the look on McGonagall’s face every day in class that the professor thought Ginny put too much on the line staying at the school. 

She just couldn’t risk it. Every day that she stayed at school gave her family a little more safety. The moment she disappeared from school meant her family would have to go into hiding. The twins would be forced to close their shop, Bill would stop reporting to Gringotts, and if her father hadn’t already stopped reporting to the ministry he certainly would have to if she left. So long as very few people knew about the baby Ginny felt like she could keep them safe. 

Only a few more hours separated her and the holiday break. 

“You know I always heard about Hogwarts at holiday time,” Ginny muses as the group sits down for breakfast. “All of my brothers would come home year after year, telling me stories about how the holidays somehow seemed more magical than anything they’d ever seen.” 

Neville nods in agreement. “Ron would hate this, when we were first years, he spent days talking about this. Dragging everyone in our dorm along to make sure we saw everything.” 

It seemed weird to think that her brother had missed this year. For as much as Ron complained about the schoolwork, he really had always loved Hogwarts, he’d loved the games and the holidays, but now she never knew if he’d come back here. Although Ginny knew that she likely would never step foot in Hogwarts again. Not until Voldemort stopped being a problem, and even then, Ginny would be a mother soon, she couldn’t just take off for an entire year. 

Especially if something happened to Harry. Naivety was not a quality of Ginny’s and she knew that Bill’s wedding may have been the last time she would ever see Harry alive. While she could and would continue to hope Harry made it out alive, she knew the prophecy. Neither lives while the other survives. The thought brings tears to her eyes and she quickly tries to blink them away. 

Faces of her friends look at her with concern but she waves them off with a dismissive hand. Hormones. She mouths not fully wanting to launch into a story at the table of why she’s crying over the fact she might never see her ex-boyfriend again. 

“I agree.” Luna chimes in. “The school is most beautiful during this time of year, if you look past the wackspurts that hide in the mistletoe you can really get the best sense of joy.” It takes a moment, but Luna’s destroyed the somber mood, causing the small group to burst out into laughter. 

The laughter carries them away from the table and towards their respective classes, Neville and Seamus walking Ginny and Luna to the door. The last of exams for the term, that’s what awaits them this morning, just a few classes before they’ll be sent back to pack and leave tomorrow. 

At the end of the test period, McGonagall hovers by the front of the room. “Weasley, a moment.” She gestures to the office to the side of the room. 

Without a word Ginny follows, gesturing to Luna that she’ll meet her in a moment. “Yes Professor?” Ginny asks shutting the door behind her. 

“I would imagine that with everything that you’ve confided with me, and the increasing tensions outside this classroom that this will be the last time I’ll see you?” Although it’s clearly a question, Ginny knows the older professor isn’t asking.

Nodding, Ginny can’t help but confirm. “Today is my last day at Hogwarts, I’ll make it onto the train but I’m anticipating not making it to Kings Cross.” She’s honest if nothing else. 

“Have a biscuit Weasley,” Minerva holds the tin of biscuits out. Taking one, Ginny allows herself to take a bite of the gingersnap and take a seat in the chair. “I’ve taught two generations of Weasleys, I don’t need to tell you that you’re the first girl I’ve taught.” She chuckles slightly at the fact, something Ginny had spent her whole life knowing.

The professor continues onward. “By the time you popped into my classroom I expected either more of the same, or a quiet timid creature. It’s safe to say you are neither. I have watched you fight more battles than you should have had to here, and continuously come out on top. You’re at the top of your class, and incredibly bright off the page.” McGonagall pauses for a moment, clearing her throat. “It has been an exceptional honor teaching you, you have grown into a fine young woman, and you’ll be a wonderful mother.” 

Tears fill Ginny’s eyes for the second time today and she tries to quickly blink them away. “Thank you, Professor. You’ve been a fantastic teacher.” Ginny knows there’s so much more she would like to thank the professor for, but suddenly it seems like she can’t do anything but thank the professor. 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to raise suspicions about keeping you here for too long, but I hope you know that if you ever need help, we’ll be here.” Minerva promises standing up to walk Ginny to the door of the office. 

As Ginny slips out of the room, she’s not surprised to find her friends waiting for her. They’ve survived the term, all that’s left now is to go change, pack, and leave. Packing up the dorm only takes a few moments, a few swishes of her wand and everything flies into place in her trunk.

“I’m going to meet John before the train. I’ll see you next term!” Demzela yells as she heads out the door, leaving Ginny alone in the dorm.

“See you next term.” Ginny calls back as the door closes. Allowing herself just a moment, she takes another look around the dorm she’s called home for so long. 

Allowing herself a few moments to take the space in one more time, Ginny can’t believe she’s not going to come back here again. She’d never spend another night with her dormmates giggling about boys or as they tried glamour charms that never worked the way magazines promised. Shutting the lid of her trunk, she shrinks it down to fit in the pocket of her bag. She can’t afford to leave her stuff with the rest of the students, not when death eaters wanted her. 

Heading out of the dorm, Ginny finds Neville, Seamus, and Luna waiting just outside the portrait. “Right, so here we go.” She says walking out of Hogwarts for the last time with her friends. 

On the platform Ginny turns around one more time to take a look at the castle. The place where she grew up, she fell in love here, her child was conceived here, this was home. 

Taking her seat on the train, she’s grateful when no one else sits in the compartment with them. Sliding the door shut, she lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. 

Hogwarts has just disappeared from her eyesight when swarms of black begin to surround the train. Any sense of calm Ginny felt moments ago has disappeared. Without missing a beat Neville and Seamus stand up, wands drawn. 

“Where’s the Weasley?” A voice calls out and Ginny’s blood freezes. 

Paralyzed in panic, her eyes widen as she tries to think of what to do next. “Ginny your wrist. Go.” Luna urges gesturing to the snitch which hung off of Ginny’s wrist. 

Tapping her wand, once, twice, three times, she feels the familiar tug of her abdomen while the train falls out of focus and Shell cottage falls into focus. Her feet have barely touched the ground when the motion has her doubling over in nausea and Bill running out of the house.

“Death eaters. Hogwarts train. Go now. I’m fine.” Ginny forces out while she tries to stop herself from retching all over the front lawn. Bill calls out to Fleur before disapparating away from the lawn. 

Ginny retches all over the lawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllll what did you think? 
> 
> Ginny's gone from Hogwarts now which is very sad, but this is definitely not the end of this story. I promise I'll try to update faster!


	18. Things You Can't Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for such a long break between chapter updates, here's another one! Really it was the last chapter that was stumping me but now I've got the juices flowing again.

Ginny finishes retching just as Fleur comes out of the cottage. Suddenly exhausted she can’t bring herself to vanish the mess, she just wants to sit down. 

Fleur gently grabs Ginny’s arm. “Come on, into zee house.” Guiding her inside, Fleur leads her to a spot on the couch. Settling her in, Fleur disappears only to come back with much looser clothing and a cup of tea. “I know your mother helped you to charm your clothing, you have nothing to hide here, and zee tea will settle your stomach.” 

The kindness in Fleur’s voice makes Ginny feel guilty for all the time she called her Phlegm or mocked her behind her back. While it doesn’t excuse anything, Ginny can’t deny how she probably would have reacted this way to any women any of her brothers brought home. 

Excusing herself to the bathroom Ginny slips out of her charmed clothes from school and into the soft outfit Fleur had handed her. For the first time, Ginny allows herself to really look at how much her body had changed. At well over six months pregnant her body looked different, she definitely couldn’t hide behind a baggy sweater anymore. While she’d been at school, Ginny had rarely been able to take a look at the changes in her body, she’d sent most of the time doing everything she could to go unnoticed, but now she could really tell. 

In less than three months she’d be someone’s mother and that idea terrified her. At school she could pretend it wasn’t happening, covered and charmed, it was easy to act like it wasn’t happening. Even if she knew inside, she could pretend she had no idea. Here she couldn’t avoid that, as her swollen abdomen protruded from the henley shirt. 

Leaving the bathroom Ginny moves back to the couch where Fleur has now put some food next to the tea. “Thank you, Fleur,” she says reaching for the tea.

“Of course. Vhatever you need.” Fleur speaks just as the door opens. Without a second of hesitation she points her wand at Bill. “Vhat did you tell me when I asked you out?” 

“That I’d been waiting because I didn’t want you to think I was just in love with you because you’re part veela.” Bill answers. Security questions like this were nothing new to Ginny, she’d seen members of her family ask them time and time again as the war dragged on. Every day this summer when her father came home her mother had asked him questions only he would know the answer to, it’s what living in a war did to them. 

Lowering her wand Fleur pecks Bill quickly before taking her own seat. Bill drops into a chair between his sister and wife. “They were looking for you on the train, Percy managed to warn Dad at work so Mum and Dad left the Burrow for Aunt Muriel’s this morning, I got the twins to close their shop, and Charlie’s still in Romania.” Bill runs through the members of their family and it doesn’t escape Ginny’s notice that they haven’t mentioned Ron. Part of her had hoped someone might have known where Ron is. Even if she can’t talk to Harry, having some idea of where to find him seemed comforting. 

“Ginny, I also talked with mum. We got lucky this time, Percy and you were able to help me warn everyone. I’m not sure we will get so lucky next time. We think until the baby’s born it’s probably safest for all of us to stay separated.” Bill explains.

Ginny had expected this. With her life being the one at risk, Molly wouldn’t even consider doing anything that might harm her. “You both are right, it’s not worth it to risk anyone’s lives right now. The best thing we can do is stay hidden.” As much as Ginny wanted her mother there to comfort her and help her through the last bits of her pregnancy, she wouldn’t risk anyone’s lives. 

“Right so let me show you where you’ll be sleeping,” Bill jumps up and offers Ginny his hand. 

Following her brother down the familiar hallway Ginny sees him open the door to a room with a bed and a crib. “Mum brought this, it’s the one she used for all of us, she also put some things in the closet and drawers for you.” Bill says opening the doors to show here. 

“When Dad told me you were pregnant I was more than surprised, you’re a sixth year but you have handled all of this really well. I got reports of what was happening at Hogwarts, I don’t know how you avoided it or managed it, but I’m really proud of you Gin.” Bill pulls her into a hug as he speaks, and she can’t help but smile. 

“It wasn’t the easiest, and I definitely wouldn’t have picked it, but I’m glad I did it.” Ginny didn’t need to terrify her family with how she had managed to avoid most unforgivable curses by physically creating a barrier around her, or the night she’d been blatantly attacked by a teacher. “Someday, I’ll tell you about it.” Ginny promises. 

“I’ll hold you to it.” Bill agrees with a chuckle.

Stories like that had another time and another place. Right now, Ginny just wanted the chance to sleep and relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review and let me know what you thought! I'm already halfway through the next chapter so it shouldn't be long till the next update.


	19. 9 Crimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to write this chapter. It's actually the first one I thought of when I thought of this story. I hope you enjoy :)

Two weeks, that’s how long Ginny had spent two weeks at Shell Cottage. 

She’d finally caught up on sleep from school and organized the things her mum had left her for the baby. Now, she had taken to taking walks on the beach, so long as she stayed in view of the cottage, and reading anything that she could get her hands on. McGonagall had advanced her through enough courses that she really didn’t have to worry about studying for the remainder of the year, and unless the situation changed very rapidly Ginny couldn’t imagine being allowed back next year. 

After breakfast she found herself sitting in a chair by the window, reading her book of the day when she heard the familiar pop of someone apparating. Putting the book down, she looks for a moment in disbelief at Ron standing in the front yard. 

“Ginny stay here!” Bill calls before running outside with his wand drawn. 

Never the Weasley sibling who listened well, Ginny follows out the door the moment Bill lowers his wand. If Ron was here, that had to mean Harry couldn’t be far behind. They stayed together, they always had. “What happened where is he?” She asks looking around as she moves towards Ron. Wrapping her arms around him for a moment she expects Harry and Hermione to be just moments behind him.

“We had a disagreement, and I left.” Ron explains sheepishly. Lifting his eyes up he notices Ginny’s swollen abdomen for the first time and tries to keep the shock off his face.

Dropping her arms from him, in that moment any sense of tranquility or relief from seeing her brother evaporates the moment Ron speaks. “You did what?” She shrieks shoving him. “How dare you! He needs you and you let your temper get in the way again?” Bill leaps into action, pulling Ginny back before she can do anything to seriously harm Ron. 

Baffled, Ron still can’t focus beyond her obvious pregnancy. “You’re…” he gestures vaguely which only further enrages Ginny. 

“Oh no. You don’t get to know anything about this child. Not when you abandoned their father.” Ginny points threateningly at Ron. “I will never forgive you for this.” She swears before turning around and storming into the house. Once inside she paces around her room in a rage for a moment. She’d trusted Ron. Trusted that he would keep Harry safe, and now he was here, having completely abandoned Harry. Fighting to catch her breath, Ginny can’t deny the tears that threaten to leak from her eyes at the thought.

Ron had been her first friend, only a year apart and the youngest Weasleys they’d spent almost every day together growing up. Before she had a friend in Luna, when their older brothers didn’t let them play, she’d had Ron. The year he’d left for Hogwarts without her felt like she’d been abandoned. For the first time in her life she’d been alone. After the year with Riddle he’d spent so much time with her, and by the end of fifth year their friend groups had almost completely intertwined. 

At the end of the day Ron was the person she learned to fly with, practiced the bit of magic Fred and George “taught” them to do with. He’d been her best friend.

Except right now she couldn’t stand to look at him. 

Ron stays, and Ginny avoids him the next two days. At breakfast when she comes downstairs to find Ron sitting at the table, she loudly makes her toast and tea before going to sit in another room, slamming the kitchen door behind her. When he comes late to dinner, she finishes her plate and leaves without a single word. On the third day he tries to speak with her for the first time. “Gin if you would just let me explain.” He says coming to sit in front of her while she’s reading. Without missing a beat Ginny closes her book and leaves the room. 

The pattern continues for days. One morning he tries walking with Ginny only to have her turn around and begin walking into the house. Anytime Ginny’s in the room and Ron walks in she makes sure to storm off loudly and without speaking to him. 

It isn’t until a bout of morning sickness, something that had mostly disappeared, catches her a day shy of two weeks of ignoring Ron that she even considers talking to him. Bill and Fleur have left to go on an order mission, leaving the two alone. On the second wave of vomiting she hears a knock at the door. “I know you’re mad at me and I deserve it, but I brought you a glass of water, and crackers if you want them.” 

For a moment Ginny doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t hear the telltale sound of his footsteps walking away. Flushing the toilet, she gets up and opens the door to the bathroom to find Ron sitting there. “You have until my next round of nausea to explain what happened.” She’s fairly certain she’s done throwing up but thinks that giving Ron a timeline will make sure she gets the most important details.

Taking a seat against the wall by the toilet, she gestures to her brother to begin. Ron takes a seat across from her, hands fidgeting awkwardly in his lap for a moment before he speaks. 

“You know that Harry had us looking for things that split Riddle’s soul in parts?” He asks and Ginny nods. “We were wearing this locket, only it’s like the diary. The things that they make you think, that it makes you feel – they’re terrifying. I kept wearing this locket that we found because we didn’t want it to get lost before we could destroy it.” The moment Ron compares it to the diary Ginny understands what happened. She could feel her blood run cold at the thought of things Voldemort had made her do while she had the diary, and they were doing that willingly.

“When I wore the locket, it made me think things I’m not proud of, and then I couldn’t let it go when I wasn’t wearing it. I yelled at Harry, we fought, and I stormed off. I tried to go back right away, but I couldn’t find them. You’re right. I abandoned them.” Ron admits. “I shouldn’t have left. I wish I hadn’t.” He keeps going, explaining why he made a choice he regrets so deeply. 

The story concludes and Ginny sits there for a moment trying to process what she’d just heard. “So, you let your temper get the better of you? If Hermione and Harry both wore the locket then they weren’t having a good time either. What made you storm away?” Of all people, Ginny knows what it feels like to have Voldemort mess with your mind. She knows what it’s like to question what’s real and what’s fake, but she still can’t just blindly forgive Ron for abandoning his friends who were dealing with the same thing.

“I had gotten really badly splinched, so I was already pretty vulnerable, and I couldn’t fight it off. That’s not a great reason. I should have more to say but I messed up.” Ron admits dropping his head slightly. 

“Are you planning to go back?” Ginny asks not sure if she wants to know the answer.

Without hesitation, Ron nods. “Yes. I need a few days to get some supplies, Bill and Fleur are helping me get a few things because I really can’t go out in public, and then I’m going to go look for them.” Ron would have left already, but he didn’t want to go off with Ginny still mad at him. 

Nodding, she processes what he’s told her. Maybe she hasn’t fully forgiven him yet but she understands why. Under Riddle’s curse, she’d done much worse things, she couldn’t entirely hold it against him. 

For a moment the duo sits in silence while she thinks. Ron would be going back, he hadn’t fully given up on helping Harry. “If I gave you a letter for Harry, would you give it to him? I want him to know he’s going to be a dad.” Ginny wasn’t naïve enough to think there wasn’t a pretty solid chance she’d raise this child alone, but she just wanted a shot at Harry knowing that he’d fathered someone. 

“We can disguise it so only he can open it. He and Hermione are pretty good at hiding so I don’t know if I’ll find them right away, but I’ll make sure he knows.” Ron promises. After seeing the look on Ginny’s face earlier, he knows he can’t fail. He has to find his best friends, he has to apologize, he has to make sure Harry knows he’s going to be a dad. “So, you’re gonna be a parent, that’s weird right?” He jokes with a laugh. 

“It’s really weird. In just a few months I’ll have a whole other person here. I’ll be responsible for what happens to them entirely.” She pauses briefly. “I know I’m not really alone, but it feels like it sometimes. Bill and Fleur are great, but it’s not their kid. If you three can’t succeed they’re not the ones who have to be ready to go. I’m excited to be a mum, but I am absolutely terrified.” Ginny knew that if things turned south Bill had a plan to get her out of England but that she would most likely have to go alone. 

Moving to sit next to her, Ron put a hand on her knee. “Harry hasn’t failed yet. I’ll find him and make he knows, make sure he wins.” _I won’t let him leave you alone_ , goes unspoken between them. 

“I know you will.” Any anger has dissipated by now. She wants to enjoy the bit of time she has with Ron before he leaves again. “Come on, help me up. I’m pregnant and I’m a Weasley I need something to eat again.” 

They laugh as he helps her up from the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllll what'd you think? Review and let me know!


	20. Light On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20 chapters! Wow! I couldn't have done it without you all. This is a little bit of a Ron/Ginny sibling fluff chapter.

It takes Ginny more tries than she planned to write her letter to Harry. How do you write a letter to someone telling them they’re going to be a father but knowing you may never see them again?

Setting another piece aflame she watches the parchment burn. “I didn’t realize you were that bad of a writer Gin,” Ron’s voice chimes in from the doorway of her room. Vanishing the paper, she turns to face her brother. 

“It’s just hard to figure out what to say,” Ginny admits pulling out another sheet of parchment. “There’s so much I want to say, and so many things I want him to know.” It wasn’t like she had a hard time talking to Harry usually. Once she’d gotten over the hero worship crush stage of their friendship, she had absolutely no problems talking to him.

Yet the words she wrote all seemed wrong. Nothing fit. 

Sitting down on the bed Ron looks at Ginny. “Can’t be that hard. ‘Oy Harry you’re gonna be a dad, hurry up and beat Riddle so that we can raise the kid.’” His sentiment is right, but the words didn’t line up.

“You’re exactly why I’m writing a letter and not just letting you blindly tell him.” She teases. Ron planned to leave the next morning. “What if you don’t find him and Hermione? What are you going to do then?” 

The thought had plagued Ron ever since he apparated away in anger. “We had a plan of where to look. Things change obviously, but I’ll keep trying. I’ll find them” Ron’s voice conveys the anger and disappointment he clearly had at himself for leaving. Although when he’d shown up she’d sworn she’d never forgive him, Ginny understood why he left, even if it still made her mad. 

“I know you will because I’m your favorite Weasley and you don’t want me to be sad.” She teases and Ron sticks his tongue out. 

“Yeah yeah, whatever you think.” He jokes, but they both know it’s true. The two youngest Weasleys, the two who loved Harry Potter and had inadvertently wrapped their lives around his. “Still would have been helpful if Dumbledore had given me something to find Harry instead of something that turned the lights off.” Ron grumbles getting up from the bed. 

“Fleur says dinner’s in half an hour.” Ron adds leaving the room. 

Alone again, Ginny looks at the sheet of parchment in front of her. “Okay, we can do this.” She mutters picking the quill up and beginning to write.

Something in her conversation with Ron had loosened her brain, making it easier for the words to pour onto the page. Signing her name, she folds the parchment and places it into the envelope. She scrawls Harry’s name on the outside and brings it down to dinner with her. 

“This is it. Make sure he gets it and that Voldemort doesn’t.” Ginny hands the envelope to Ron who drops it in his pack by the door. 

“I’ll make sure.” Ron promises. Wrapping his arms around her the best he can with her swollen abdomen he hugs her tightly. 

Picking that moment to enter the room Bill makes himself known. “Aw they’ve made up! The cutest little Weasleys!” He yells laughing as he adds himself to the hug. “And here I thought Ginny would hex your bits off.” The oldest Weasley pulls his siblings to him for a moment, jokes aside. 

The next morning comes quicker than any of them would like. At breakfast Ginny finds Ron fiddling with his deluminator. Quietly helping herself to some of the food laid out, she sits down across from him. The deluminator flips open and a ball of light comes out. 

Impossible to miss is the sound of Hermione’s voice that comes from the ball. Bill, Ginny, and Fleur all stand up as the ball of light moves. Catching it quickly in his deluminator, Ron turns eyes wide. “I have to go.” There’s no question in his voice if the light could lead him to Harry and Hermione he really couldn’t afford to wait.

Hugging Ron one more time, Ginny wholeheartedly agrees. “Good luck and stay safe.” She says watching Ron sling his bag over his shoulder. 

Ron takes a few steps out the door, and outside the wards of the property before the telltale sign of apparition rings in their ears. 

“They’ll be fine.” Bill says, and for a moment she believes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ron's gone... but is it the last we see of him??? 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	21. Damn It All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh duh duh. I bet you all have some guesses as to what this chapter is. 
> 
> I also borrowed a little of the dialogue from JKR because quite frankly, they're her characters and story, I just altered a little.

“Ronald Weasley you complete and utter arse!” Hermione screams as she flings leaves, sticks, whatever she can get her hands on at Ron. Even in her anger and the underlying threats she’s making on his life, he’s grateful to see her. To know that she’s okay.

Turning on Harry she charges, demanding her wand. “You – crawl – back – here – after – weeks – and – weeks – oh, where’s my wand?”

“Why’s he got your wand?” Ron asks the panic clear in his voice. 

“Hermione, will you please?” Harry jumps in hoping to try and stop the fight before Hermione lunges at him again. 

“Don’t you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!” She screams, curls flying as her eyes fill with rage. In a moment she turns on Ron, whipping around to yell at him. “Don’t you dare! Give it back now! And YOU!” She points are Ron, even wandless ready to charge and attack. "I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back!” There’s a hurt in her voice Harry only recognizes from the time they’d spent alone.

Harry uses the moment to escape from where Hermione had him pinned on the tree.

“Hermione, I know, I’m sorry.” Ron tries but Hermione only takes another step towards him. 

“You come back after weeks – weeks – and you think it’s all going to be all right if you just say sorry? How did you even find us?” She asks her voice threateningly even, eyes blazing. 

Ron explains how the deluminator had Hermione’s voice, and how he’d followed it looking for them. He could almost swear as he’s explaining that he sees Hermione’s face soften. 

“Hermione,” Harry tries to get Hermione to calm down and speak to Ron. “Ron just saved my life.” 

A flicker of something crosses her face, and Harry really thinks she’s forgiven Ron. That is, until she speaks. “Well don’t expect me to forgive you anytime soon.” Hermione huffs before turning around and going into the tent, leaving Harry and Ron alone.

Sliding his bag off his shoulder, Ron digs in and pulls out the letter Ginny had given him. “Erm, this is for you, from my sister. It’s protected, she says to use the same enchantment you use for the map.” Ron hands the letter over to Harry. As much as he’d like to give Harry a little warning, he’d promised Ginny. 

Confusion knits at Harry’s eyebrows. “You saw Ginny? Shouldn’t she be at school? How did you get this?” Harry takes the letter into his hands looking concerned. For all he knew Ginny was safe at Hogwarts, part of the reason he’d been able to keep going is because he’d assumed Ginny was still tucked away at Hogwarts, where even if Snape was headmaster, McGonagall could protect her. 

“Just read it mate, trust me. She’ll explain everything.” Ron prompts gesturing to the letter. “I’ll, uhm, give you a moment.” 

Sitting down against a tree, Harry looks at the letter questioningly. “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good.” He mutters tapping the letter with Hermione’s wand. 

_Dear Harry,_

_It’s taken me approximately 19 tries to write this. Ron’s come in to bother me twice, and quite frankly if you’d like to hex him, I wouldn’t mind. Bill held me back when Ron showed up and I would have liked to get a shot in._

_I’m sure by now you’ve gathered I’m not at school, and before you panic, I have good reason I promise._

_After you three left, I found out I’m pregnant._

_It goes without saying that it’s your child. We’re going to be parents – can you believe it? Before you go blaming yourself remember that it takes two people, and we did use the charm. Whatever else you’re blaming yourself for in that head of yours right now – stop. If you’re to blame then so I am I. It’s not how either of planned but it’s what happened._

_I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined this differently, but if there’s anyone who’s child I would have at sixteen, it’s yours._

_For names I’ve been thinking James or Lily, after your parents. The baby’s due in early March, according to my mother and Fleur who have done their best with my prenatal care. I promise you, we’re safe. I left Hogwarts before anyone could find out, besides Neville and Seamus refused to let Luna or I out of their sights, so I managed to avoid trouble. I’m hidden now, away from prying eyes._

_With that in mind, I do think it’d be rather prat-ish if you died. Leaving the rest of us to deal with Ron and Hermione? Seems rather rude if you ask me. So, do your best to stay alive will you?_

_Harry, I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you. I’ve always loved you (even when you were being a bit of a prat), and I’ll always love you. I know you’re doing everything you can to defeat Riddle, and I believe you will. If something does happen, we’ll be okay. I’ll make sure the baby is loved and knows everything great their father did._

_Always yours,_

_Ginny_

Finishing the letter, Harry reclines against the tree in shock. He’s going to be a father, and in just a short while. For a moment he stays physically still, his mind running a million miles an hour. 

A father. 

He and Ginny were going to be parents. 

“Bloody hell.” He mutters aloud. Cursing himself he can’t avoid doing exactly what Ginny told him not to do. They’d been reckless last year, he’d let himself fall all the way in love with her without hesitation, he’d put Ginny in danger time and time again. Now, the girl he loved essentially had a target on her if anyone figured out the baby was his before he could defeat Voldemort. 

Wheels churning in his head, Harry realizes now that he has even less room for error. Failing means putting Ginny and his child at risk. Harry won’t let his child grow up constantly hunted by Voldemort, he hadn’t imagined he’d be fortunate enough to ever have children, but he won’t let them grow up like he did. 

School year after school year had been plagued by running for his life. Harry will be damned if he lets his kid grow up like that, even if it meant he had to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort he would. 

Reading through the letter once more, Harry memorizes every line, every way the letters slope in Ginny’s scrawl. “Mischief managed.” Harry says with a final tap of his wand. Folding the letter up, he slips it into the pocket of his jacket to put into Hermione’s magic bag. 

Heading into the tent, Harry spots Ron and Hermione sitting at the table. “How is she?” He asks wondering if Ginny had downplayed anything. Undoubtedly Ron had told Hermione by now, so Harry doesn’t even question to ask the things on his mind. 

“She’s surprisingly good. Weirdly, motherhood seems to suit her. She’s staying with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage. Bill, Fleur, and Ginny almost hexed me when I showed up, so I definitely wouldn’t worry about her and the baby’s safety.” At this moment Ron doesn’t envy Harry. He’s faced with yet another cruel challenge. 

“I want to be there, when the baby’s born.” Harry admits. “If things go poorly, I want to have met my kid at least once. She says she’s due at the beginning of March, even if just for a few days.” It’s selfish and he knows it, but he also knows that he’s likely to die the next time he faces Voldemort. 

Ron and Hermione share a look between the two of them, a look Harry imagines only parents share when their kid asks for something. After seven years he’s grown used to his friends co-parenting him. Hermione and Ron sharing glances that said they’d talked about this before he brought it up. “That’s in eight weeks, if it’s safe we’ll go. If there’s any sign of something wrong, or just a little bit off then we won’t.” Hermione offers gently. 

“I can agree to that. As much as I want to be there, I don’t want to put Ginny or the baby in any danger.” He refused to put them in any extra danger. 

Shell Cottage was where the trio had been told to go if they got into trouble. Unplottable, hidden, and under the Fidelius charm, only seven people had access to the cottage. With Ginny and the soon to be born baby there, it seemed wrong to Harry to go there any sooner than necessary. 

“I have to defeat him now, you realize, that right? Riddle can’t win.” Harry says a new fierceness in his voice. 

For years Harry had figured he was probably growing up to defeat Voldemort, and with the prophecy he would die. Now he wanted to live. He wanted to raise his kid and grow old with Ginny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry knows! I may not rewrite all of the next few chapters, but I don't know if I want to just jump straight ahead. Let me know if you have any ideas!
> 
>  
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


	22. The Hurting Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not going to re-write the Xenophilius chapter because I know that I can't write it as well as JKR. So this takes place not long after.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Harry, we need to stop and set up camp.” Hermione encourages gently trying to get Harry to stop. Since Ron returned and their run-in with Xenophilius Lovegood, Harry had been on edge. Every day he’d tried to run the group into the ground, insisting on finding more Horcruxes.

Despite going on end for days, they weren’t any closer to finding the next three items. “I have to keep going, we need to find another one.” Harry argues back. To him, every hour wasted or spent sleeping meant he had a smaller chance of seeing Ginny. 

Softly placing his hand on Hermione’s arm, Ron signals he’ll handle this. Stepping around Harry, Ron forces him to stop in his path. “Harry you have to stop and rest.” He tries but Harry shakes his head. 

“We have to keep going, it’s been weeks and we’re no closer to finding the next horcrux.” Harry counters.

Well versed in Harry refusing to take his time and calm down by now, Ron knows it’s okay to push Harry a little bit here. “We’ve barely slept in days, when you don’t sleep you get sloppy and make mistakes.” Ron’s not wrong, when he pushes himself too long his magic gets sloppy, but that doesn’t stop Harry from arguing back. 

“Do you think he’s stopping? Every day we take is another day he has to grow stronger, to recruit more people, to hurt the people we care about.” Harry fires back trying to step around Ron to keep walking. 

With a sigh Ron pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his rage down. “You’re no good to her without sleep.” Playing the Ginny card is dirty, Ron knows it, but at this point Harry needs to sleep for at least a few hours. “The longer you stay up the more your reaction time slows, meaning you’re more likely to get hurt or that one of us is likely to get hurt covering you.” 

“I need to do this so I can be there.” Harry’s logic is crumbling but he’s determined. 

Shaking his head Ron continues on. “You’re no good to her, or the baby if you’re dead because you ran yourself into the ground. You’re no help if you’re so tired that you miss on simple spells and one of us gets hurt. I’m not saying stop forever, I’m saying give yourself a few hours to sleep.” Ron’s logic is solid, and he can see Harry’s face wrinkle in distaste. 

“Fine. We can sleep for a few hours, but then it’s back to work.” He acquiesces. 

With a few flicks of her wand, Hermione has their tent set up and protective enchantments set around them. “I’ll take first watch.” She says in a tone both of them know not to argue with. 

In just a matter of minutes, Harry’s asleep in one of the bunk beds, with Ron not far off behind him. Hermione slips out of the tent, sitting on the perimeter of their enchantments, listening for anyone. 

After a few hours, Ron wakes and comes out to find her with a cup of tea. “Here you go, sorry it’s not quite how you like it.” He offers the steaming cup to her, wishing he had just a little bit of milk to put into it. 

Even though Ron had been back for a few weeks, he still felt the underlying tension whenever it came time to be alone with Hermione. “Thank you,” she says taking the hot cup in her hands. 

Sitting down next to her, Ron leans his back against the tree. Emotional range of a teaspoon be damned, Ron takes the opportunity to try and cut the tension between them. “I don’t think I properly apologized to you,” Ron starts softly. 

Thoughts of Hermione chasing after him screaming flood his memory. It’d only taken a few moments for him to realize the colossal mistake he’d made, but the damage was done. “I shouldn’t have left, hearing you yelling at me and leaving anyways was cruel. Saying how sorry I am or explaining how messed up my mind was don’t excuse it, but I really am sorry ‘Mione.” 

He can hear the sharp intake of her breath as he apologizes. He could live for hundreds of years and never fully forgive himself for the mistakes he made storming off. 

For a moment they sit there in silence before she speaks. “Was I just not enough for you? Ron, you didn’t even turn around when I called your name.” The way she’d flung herself at him to get him to stay flash through her mind. Hermione had never considered herself the type to cry or scream after a boy but yet she did after him. Only he couldn’t even look over his shoulder at her.

Shaking his head, Ron moves to face her directly. Lifting the cup from her hands, he places it against the tree and takes her hand. “I couldn’t process anything but my own rage. It was like I heard you but through a heavy fog. I don’t know why it was so much worse for me than you or Harry, but I just needed to get away from the locket.” Ron tries to explain. He’d never willingly hurt Hermione but he had when he stormed off.

“Once I got away and had a chance to breathe, I realized what a massive mistake I’d made. I swear I tried to come right back.” Ron promises. Once he’d apparated away, it’d taken seconds to realize the colossal mistake he’d made. “I tried to come right back, and when I realized I couldn’t, that’s when I went to Bill and Fleur’s.” He’s desperate in trying to convey the mistake he’d made.

Trying her best to understand what he’d said and how him leaving had really just been about him, she thinks deeply about whether or not to forgive him. “I’m not sure I can forgive you fully right away, Ron you really hurt me.” The weeks without him, alone and cold as she and Harry tried to fight to stay alive. “I want to, I really do. I just need a little more time.” She’s not saying this to hurt Ron, she’s saying it because she’s truly not ready to just let everything go. 

“I know, and I’m not asking you to forgive me today. I’m just asking for maybe someday. You’re my best friend ‘Mione.” His voice is tender at the end, making her want nothing more than to pull him into a tight hug and let his arms wrap around her. 

Squeezing his hand once, she looks up at him. “We’ll get there, I know we will.” Hermione agrees. 

Neither moves as they sit there, hands entwined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much Harry or Ginny in this chapter but still some Ron and Hermione togetherness. 
> 
> Review and let me know what you thought!


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